Outlining the draft amendments, Environment Protection and Energy Ministry's State Secretary Ivo Milatic said that the purpose of the proposed changes was also to strike a fair balance between interests of power providers and the maintenance of the system of subsidies for energy generated from renewable sources.
The draft amendments envisage the obligation of electricity providers to purchase a specified portion of the net delivered electricity of privileged producers, among other things.
The changes adjust the national legislation to the European Union's Fuel Quality Directive and to the amended EU directive on production and promotion of energy from renewable sources.
The proposed changes will enable faster development of solar photovoltaic plants in households and more transparent tender procedure, Milatic explained.
Science and Education Minister Blazenka Divjak said on Thursday that her ministry would continue co-financing transport costs of high school students, and that budget funds for that purpose had been increased by about 20% compared with 2017.
"A total of HRK 134 million has been secured for this year and 218 million for next year. This year we have raised the limit for the state's co-financing of transport costs for certain categories of students by 22%," the minister said explaining the decision endorsed by the government.
Students who regularly enrol in a secondary school and buy a monthly bus or train ticket, and who live at least five kilometres from their school are eligible for 75% of their transport costs being covered by the state, the minister said.
She added that monthly bus or train tickets for students living in households that receive the guaranteed minimum allowance or maintenance allowance, would be paid entirely by the ministry.
Labour and Pension System Minister Marko Pavic said that positive employment trends reflected on the pension system and that currently the pensioner to worker ratio was 1:1.26 as against the previous ratio of 1:1.14.
Text: Hina