Last Friday, Fitch reported that that Croatia's credit rating had been upgraded from 'BB' to BB+', with outlooks being stable owing to the excellent tourism season and improved public finances, and this has been the first upgrade in the country's credit rating since 2004.
"This is an encouraging message. I believe that other credit rating agencies will evaluate the government's achievements in the same way, primarily the responsible public finances policy and financial consolidation,"Plenkovic told his cabinet at the start of their meeting in Zagreb.
He again recalled that the government's policy resulted in a general government surplus and a declining public debt.
Plenkovic said that the government would work on making sure that Craotia's credit rating be raised to investment grades.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic commented at a government session on Thursday on the selection of the company to conduct the first phase of construction work on the Peljesac bride and access roads.
Croatia's road authority Hrvatske Ceste said last week that a Chinese company -- China Road and Bridge Corporation -- would conduct the first phase of the construction of the bridge and access roads.
"Of the three bids received for the public procurement, the bid by China Road and Bridge Corporation, CCCC Highway Consultants, CCCC Second Highway Engineering and CCCC Second Harbour Engineering, was selected with a price of 277 million euro (without VAT) or a final price of 346 million euro with VAT and a completion date of 36 months," as the most favourable bid, a press release by Hrvatske Ceste said.
China Road and Bridge Corporation is a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).
"This is one of the strategic European projects, certainly a project that will be most visible in this financial perspective," Plenkovic said, adding he expected the procedure to continue, including possible appeals, a decision regarding the selection of the company to oversee the construction work and the signing of the contract.
The prime minister believes Croatian companies will have an opportunity to be subcontractors.
Text: Hina