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‘Forests, waters, and agricultural land are not for sale’

Minister of Agriculture Tihomir Jakovina stated today that waters, forests, and agricultural land are the national wealth of this country and will not be and are not subject to sale either under the law on strategic investments or under any other law.

– The position of the Government and myself as the responsible minister is that waters, forests, and agricultural land are the national wealth of this country and will not be and are not subject to sale either under this law or under any other – said Jakovina when asked to comment on assessments that the law on strategic investments will enable the sale of national wealth.

This law will only simplify investment opportunities in Croatia and remove some administrative barriers that have so far created problems for potential investors, Jakovina told reporters after a meeting of the Council for the Food Industry.

We are not talking about the sale of the national wealth of the Republic of Croatia, said Jakovina, noting that today, at the National Water Council, which was constituted in the Parliament, both he and representatives of the legislative authority clearly confirmed this. He reiterated that the sale of national treasures was not the intention of the law.

When asked by reporters to comment on rumors about the dismissal of the head of the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR) Anton Kovačev, or rumors that Kovačev would resign from that position, Jakovina replied, ‘I don’t think so.’

– Let the rumors be, we do not comment on them, I think Kovačev is doing well, and the results of HBOR for 2012 are an indicator of how seriously the work is being done. We all need to be better, including HBOR – said the minister.

Jakovina noted that Kovačev was also present today at the meeting of the Council for the Food Industry, where 28 credit lines available to both food and processing companies were presented. He pointed out that the processing time for applications for these loans is an area where additional steps must be taken to be more efficient towards end users.