OPATIJA, Nov 22 (Hina) - On the second day of the two-day economists' and business people's forum on Croatian economy policy in 1997 which is being held in Opatija under the organization of the Croatian Economists' Society (HDE),
Transport Minister Zeljko Luzavec spoke about the development of transport infrastructure in Croatia, and Privatization Minister Ivan Penic spoke about the results of the privatization process and the oncoming mass voucher privatization.
IN OPATIJA
OPATIJA, Nov 22 (Hina) - On the second day of the two-day
economists' and business people's forum on Croatian economy policy
in 1997 which is being held in Opatija under the organization of
the Croatian Economists' Society (HDE), Transport Minister Zeljko
Luzavec spoke about the development of transport infrastructure in
Croatia, and Privatization Minister Ivan Penic spoke about the
results of the privatization process and the oncoming mass voucher
privatization. #L#
During this and next year, Croatia would construct 78
kilometres of road, which was 7 to 8 times more than in the years
before the war, Luzavec said.
Out of the total one billion kuna which were invested in roads
this year, 300 million kuna were foreign investments and next year,
the relation between foreign and domestic investments should be
50:50, he said.
Between 5 to 10 years would be needed for the reconstruction
of the Croatian Railways (HZ), Luzavec said, adding that special
attention would have to be paid to the development of international
routes and the reduction of traffic on certain railway lines.
Luzavec announced the signing of an agreement with the
Yugoslav transport minister on opening the Zagreb-Belgrade railway
on which HZ had realized 60 percent of the returns.
Privatization Minister Ivan Penic summed up the results of
privatization so far and stressed that, from the point of view of
the ownership structure, 595,000 small share holders owned most
stocks in privatized firms, which amounted to 30 percent.
Following are the Croatian Privatization Fund (HFP) with 26
percent of shares, large share holders and banks with 21 percent,
pension funds with 15 percent, 5 percent have been reserved for
denationalization, and other private share holders own 3 percent of
stock.
Under the draft state budget for next year, the Privatization
Ministry budget amounted to 27 million kuna, most of which was
intended for the implementation of mini mass privatization, as
Penic put it.
Penic cited the main tasks of the Ministry's strategy in the
future period as being an accelerated sale of stock or the shares
of companies from the HFP portfolio, as well as the sale of whole
or parts of seven companies which produced some 10 percent of
Croatian gross product.
(hina) lm jn
221454 MET nov 96