At the Head of the Commission for Strategic Investments, the Deputy Prime Minister

The government will propose amendments to the Law on Strategic Investment Projects at its meeting on Thursday to enable the reactivation of the Commission for Strategic Investment Projects.

Instead of the Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the economy, which this government does not have, and who has chaired it until now, it is proposed that one of the Deputy Prime Ministers lead the Commission.

The existing law from 2013 stipulates that the Commission for the assessment and determination of proposals for strategic projects is chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the economy and investments, while its deputy is the head of the central state administration body responsible for the economy.

Since the new government does not provide for the position of Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the economy and investments, the government should propose amendments at tomorrow’s meeting whereby the chair of the Commission would be the Deputy Prime Minister by position, and the deputy chair would be the head of the central state administration body responsible for the economy.

This issue was already pointed out by the Minister of Economy Tomislav Panenić at the first government meeting, stating that based on the Law on Strategic Investments, 113 investment projects are currently registered, of which 47 are ready for the competent government commission. Warning that according to the law, the commission is chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the economy, which is currently absent, Panenić requested last week that this be resolved as soon as possible so that these projects could begin to be realized.

The government should also accept the proposal for amendments to the Law on the Management and Disposal of Property Owned by the Republic of Croatia, which stipulates that the Commission for the Management of Strategic Trading Companies consists of the Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the economy and the ministers of finance, economy, maritime affairs, transport and infrastructure, agriculture, entrepreneurship and crafts, and labor and pension system.

The amendments are proposed based on the fact that the government has two Deputy Prime Ministers, of which the first Deputy Prime Minister has been appointed as the president of the Coordination for Internal Policy and Management of State Property, and the second as the president of the Coordination for Social Activities, and it is proposed that a member of this commission be the Deputy Prime Minister designated by the government.

These legal amendments are necessary to enable the appointment of all commission members so that it can continue to operate in full composition and make decisions and conclusions for which it is competent according to the aforementioned law, for the effective management of trading companies and other legal entities of strategic and special interest to the state.

For both legal amendments, an urgent parliamentary procedure is proposed. It is explained that there are justified reasons for this as it will enable the continuation of work and decision-making by the Commission for the assessment and determination of proposals for strategic projects and attempt to eliminate disturbances in the economy with a larger number of declared strategic investment projects aimed at encouraging investments, as well as for the effective management of trading companies and other legal entities of strategic and special interest to the state.

Among other things, the government should also decide to allocate an additional 1.8 million kuna from the budget reserves to the State Administration for Protection and Rescue to cover costs related to the accommodation of migrants.