CROATIAN LOWER HOUSE ENDS SESSION

( Editorial: --> 8445 ) ZAGREB, Jan 30 (Hina) - The Croatian Parliament House of Representatives on Friday voted on some 30 bills and ended a two- week session. According to adopted bills on benefits for the pension and health care schemes which are to take effect on 1 February this year, a direct influx of money would be allowed into the health care fund, but this would not financially affect employees and employers. The House adopted several bills on traffic, including the Bill on Airports, the Bill on the Establishment of Croatian Air Control and the Bill on Inter-country Sailing. Most of the MPs accepted the amendments to the Law on Agriculture Land, which is expected to accelerate the process of making available agricultural land in state ownership. The government is obliged to draw up the text of the amended law in line with the State Strategy for the Development of Agriculture, in two months. The Lower House adopted several bills ratifying international agreements, including the Bill on ratifying the guarantee for the project of recovery of investments between Croatia and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The loan is DM52 million with which four business, privatised banks will provide credit for the development of small and middle businesses. Adopted were several bills discussed in their first reading. Amendments to the Law on Value Added Tax suggested by members of the Social Democratic Party and Croatian Peasants' Party was not adopted. The House of Representatives did not manage to discuss the final bill on education in languages of ethnic communities or minorities which was discussed in its third reading last year, because of the insufficient number of Parliament Members. The Lower House adopted reports on the work of the State Auditing Bureau for 1997 and about the auditings done in 1996; the report on the Croatian National Bank for the half-year budget from January to June 1997; and the report on the work of the Administrative Board of "Croatian Forests". (hina) lm mm 301912 MET jan 98