ZAGREB, 18 Dec (Hina) - The Croatian Government would continue in 1997 with its policy of low inflation rates and stable exchange rates so that there would be no changes on the macroeconomic plane, said Vice Premier Borislav Skegro in
the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, 18 Dec (Hina) - The Croatian Government would continue in
1997 with its policy of low inflation rates and stable exchange
rates so that there would be no changes on the macroeconomic plane,
said Vice Premier Borislav Skegro in the Croatian Chamber of
Commerce (HGK) on Wednesday. #L#
The Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development would
finance export as well as small and medium entrepreneurship.
Pension and disability funds would be reformed and the financial
rehabilitation of banks would continue. More attention would be
paid to public companies, Skegro said, speaking before the HGK
Assembly in Zagreb.
The central topic of today's session was the current economic
situation at the end of the year.
Delivering an introductory speech, Branimir Lokin of the HGK
estimated that in 1996 satisfactory economic growth was not
achieved.
According to August indicators and those in the following
months, economy has started to revive and there has been a decrease
in interest rates. However, a 10% decrease in export, unfavorable
kuna exchange rate and high insolvency still remain to be solved,
Lokin said.
The year of 1996 was a very successful one, Vice Premier
Skegro said, adding that there had been a 10% rise in economic
growth.
Industrial production has been registering continual growth
for 14 months, salaries and pension allowances had registered real
growth and there had been considerable progress in reconstruction
and infrastructural development, accompanied with low inflation and
stable exchange rate, Skegro said.
(hina) rm jn
181608 MET dec 96