Minister Šuker: State finance are under control

Finance Minister Ivan Suker said on Tuesday that state finances were under "complete control" and that his ministry had prepared contingency measures.

"The ministry keeps expenditures under complete control so it can respond in case there is a disruption," Suker told reporters after a meeting with leaders of the Croatian Employers Association.

Also attending the meeting was Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.

Commenting on newspaper articles on the collection of budget revenues, Suker said that the collection of revenues, including taxes and contributions, was for the most part going according to plan.

Suker said that today's meeting also focused on the government's need to borrow money abroad in order to finance this year's obligations.

He reiterated that the government had agreed with the European Investment Bank a EUR 250 million loan for the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which would be made available to small and medium-sized businesses.

Asked how companies would repay their debts, which exceed the government's debts this year, Suker said that the government would help them as much as it could by using its influence with banks.

HINA