“We have been working for several months on preparing the Development Agreement for the economy and agriculture, and all projects that are completed with building permits have been signed today, and we can announce that 43 construction sites are opening as part of 29 projects with a total value of 700 million kuna,” Žalac stated after the conclusion of the 5th session of the Council for Slavonia, Baranja, and Srijem.
>>> Development agreement signed for the area of Slavonia, Baranja, and Srijem
In Vinkovci, contracts for 130 projects in all five Slavonian counties with a total value of 1.3 billion kuna were signed.
After the projects start, Minister Žalac said she expects the opening of new jobs.
Murganić: 900 million kuna for kindergartens in Slavonia
The Minister for Demography, Family, Youth, and Social Policy, Nada Murganić, also addressed journalists, having signed contracts for the construction and extension of 47 kindergartens in the area of five Slavonian counties.
“This Government has allocated 900 million kuna just for kindergartens,” Murganić said, adding that 300 million kuna has been secured from the European fund for hiring additional staff in kindergartens to ensure double-shift work, new programs, and meals for children who will stay longer in kindergartens.
When asked by journalists whether the measures she presented at the Council session for Slavonia, Baranja, and Srijem would pull Slavonia out of demographic collapse, Murganić answered affirmatively, stating that about two billion kuna has been invested in natality measures so far, and they, she said, must yield success.
>>> A third of the planned EU funds contracted for the Slavonia project so far
“The poor demographic picture was not created in the last twenty months; it has been accumulating for decades, and if such a systematic approach had been present in previous Governments, we would not have such poor results,” Murganić assessed.
She added that the poverty rate in Croatia is declining, having been below 20 percent last year, which, she said, she cannot be satisfied with, but the ministry she heads is taking care of it. She also mentioned numerous measures that the Government and the ministry have adopted to positively influence the reduction of poverty. “In the amendments to the new Social Welfare Act, we will certainly take this into account,” she emphasized.
