Together with three other ministers, they were presenting Proinvest, a set of government measures to stimulate investment and restructure the economy.

Asked by reporters about the strategic investments bill, Grcic said it would be put to parliament "in a couple of weeks" and Vrdoljak said "in March."

More than HRK 70 billion will be invested in the economy this year, including HRK 20 billion of public investment in economic recovery and more than HRK 50 billion in private sector investment, Grcic said, adding that if that succeeded, the national economy would grow and be faster than the European Union's for the first time.

Asked which projects would be invested in, he said primarily the energy and transport sectors, but also a series of public-private partnerships.

Projects worth HRK 2.2 billion will be financed through EU funds this year and we expect to draw HRK 4 billion for projects in 2014, Grcic said, recalling that Croatia would contribute significantly to the EU budget.

"Only through structural funds and rural development aid can we compensate the amounts we will pay into the EU funds. I hope we will manage to compensate these amounts from the start and in the second and third years of EU membership, Croatia will be a net receiver from the EU budget," he said.

Minister Vrdoljak said that in 23 years of independence, only one new energy plant was built in Croatia, while the incumbent government planned to begin the construction of at least four in its four-year term.

He criticised the slowness in the adoption of zoning plans, especially in Split-Dalmatia County, saying those responsible should be punished.

Asked to comment on an open letter in which union leader Kresimir Sever criticised the government and demanded a reshuffle, Vrdoljak said Sever should have attended today's presentation and voiced his suggestions on how to help Croatia.

At the Split event, Tourism Minister Veljko Ostojic presented a tourism development strategy up to 2020, Labour Minister Mirando Mrsic spoke about active employment policy measures this year, and Enterprise Minister Gordan Maras recalled that it was now easier to set up a company and that about 3,000 had been set up to date for ten kuna each.

Deputy Finance Minister Boris Lalovac spoke about the implementation of the law on financial operations and pre-bankruptcy settlement, while Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development CEO Anton Kovacev presented the Bank's credit lines.