Some signs of recovery are visible, however, we must wait another several months to see if these trends are sustainable and if we will be able to make a positive turn in the economy by the end of the year, Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Branko Grcic said on Wednesday.
Asked about his expectations from the Fitch credit rating agency which is currently assessing Croatia's ratings, Grcic said he did not think these recovery signs would be visible any time soon in credit rating agencies' assessments.
"Some recovery signs are visible. Despite the initial information that there were zero foreign investments at the start of the year, figures in the end show that investments amounted to EUR 460 million. At the same time last year, foreign investments amounted to EUR 80 million, so there has been a multifold increase in foreign direct investments," Grcic said.
He underscored that after a long time, personal consumption in May went up. "This means that consumer optimism is becoming visible and I hope that the tourist season will contribute to it even more. That's why I expect an increase in consumption in this area as well," he stressed.
