PM says Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem project being implemented at solid pace

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at a session of the Council for Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem in the eastern town of Nova Gradiska on Tuesday that the value of contracts agreed since the last session of the Council in December 2018 had increased by HRK 1.23 billion, which, he said, showed that the government's Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem project was being implemented at a solid pace.

"In the two and a half years of our term in office we have defined a framework for a priority policy that is yielding results," Plenkovic said at the start of the Council's eighth session.

He stressed that the government had achieved several important results on the macroeconomic plane.

"We exited the Excessive Deficit Procedure right after we decided to form the Council and a few weeks ago, we exited the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure, after which one of the world's three leading rating agencies restored the country's rating to the investment category," he said.

The government has also defined a new statistical classification of territorial units in Croatia, thus correcting the injustices done, particularly to the economy in the region of Slavonia, he said.

"I believe that the current classification is much more reasonable and useful for those wishing to invest in this part of Croatia," he said.

Over the past two and a half years the government has reduced the number of administrative barriers on three occasions, and introduced tax breaks as many times, he said.

Major positive changes benefiting business people, citizens

"All of these measures amount to HRK 8.5 billion. Those are big changes for the better that benefit business people as well as ordinary citizens," Plenkovic said, adding that since it joined the EU Croatia had absorbed HRK 34.1 billion and paid HRK 19.7 billion into the EU budget, with the surplus totalling HRK 14.4 billion.

"The HRK 14.4 billion is additional proof of why it is good for Croatia to be a member of the EU," the PM said.

Attending the eighth session of the Council for Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem are government ministers-members of the Council as well as representatives of Brod-Posavina County authorities.

Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Gabrijela Zalac and Council main coordinator Gabrijela Zalac is expected to present the results of the Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem project so far, and a representative of the World Bank will present a report with recommendations for growth and employment in Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem.

After the session, contracts for regional projects will be signed and awarded.

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