Water management plan

Kosor: There'll be no selling of national wealth

14.02.2011 u 18:22

Bionic
Reading

Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said on Monday that the government would most likely withdraw draft legislative amendments proposing transformation of the public institution responsible for water management, Hrvatske Vode, into a company and thus dispel doubts about privatisation of national water resources.

"There'll be no selling of national wealth, no selling of water resources and forests," Kosor said in an interview with Croatian Radio.

Kosor said she had discussed the issue with bishops, after the Catholic Church openly opposed adoption of amendments to the Water Management Act and the Water Management Financing Act, and with the Minister of Regional Development, Forestry and Water Management, Bozidar Pankretic.

"Most probably this week we will talk with people who have doubts, and in order to dispel any doubts, we will probably withdraw that proposal," Kosor said.

Kosor said she would be meeting with bankers on Wednesday to discuss how to spread the burden of the crisis as evenly as possible. "They, of course, should also bear part of the burden," she said.

Speaking of the government's plan to create jobs for 150,000 people this year, Kosor said that, despite a negative public response to that plan, she still believed it was feasible if major government investment projects produced "tangible results".

"I should recall that we created 147,000 jobs last year, which is 20 per cent more than in 2009. If 147,000 people were hired in the difficult 2010, why wouldn't we find employment for 150,000 this year or next?" she said.

Kosor reiterated she believed that the European Commission would issue a favourable opinion on plans for the restructuring of the Croatian shipyards. She called on shipyard managers and unions to keep the workers fully informed of all issues relating to the shipbuilding industry, and confirmed that the government would secure HRK 10 million to cover the debts of all the shipyards.

"I, (Economy) Minister Popijac and the whole government are as anxious as the shipyard workers, and we will all be jumping up for joy when, I hope, the confirmation comes from Brussels, because that is the issue of all issues, not just because of accession negotiations, but because of the workers' livelihoods," Kosor said.