Croatia's economy Minister comment on results 1n 2006, plans for next year

The year 2006 was very good and successful for the Croatian economy, and next year efforts will be made to tackle the problem of shipbuilding industry and launch an export offensive, the Minister of the Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship, Branko Vukelic, told reporters on Friday.

ZAGREB, Dec 22 (Hina) - The year 2006 was very good and successful for the Croatian economy, and next year efforts will be made to tackle the problem of shipbuilding industry and launch an export offensive, the Minister of the Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship, Branko Vukelic, told reporters on Friday.
The government's biggest and most difficult task in 2007 will be tackling the problem of shipbuilding industry, so that it could recover and stop making losses, Vukelic said.
He went on to say that the project of export offensive would start in late January. Apart from preparing companies to be more successful in more demanding foreign markets, the strategy is also aimed at increasing their competitiveness in the domestic market as well as increasing production, without which it will not be possible to increase exports, the minister said.
This particularly refers to the economic sectors which have the potential to enter the international market, such as the wood or textile industries, or companies cooperating with the automobile industry, Vukelic said.
Commenting on the performance of his ministry and the government on the economic front in 2006, Vukelic said that this year efforts had been made to tackle one of the most problematic sectors, the iron and steel industry, through the recent privatisation of the Split Ironworks. The privatisation of the Sisak Tube Rolling Mill is under way, and the Sibenik Light Metal Factory could get a new owner next year, the minister announced.
Vukelic said that now was a good time for the iron and steel industry considering positive trends on the international market, which he said was visible from a significant interest of foreign investors into Croatian companies.
The minister said that the most important project in the power industry was the opening of the Pula-Karlovac gas pipeline, and that the positive response of business people was the best proof that the business climate had improved.




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