Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic is sure that the Strategic Investments Bill is a good law aimed at creating more jobs and bringing more money, and during his cabinet's meeting on Thursday he dismissed the criticism of this law from nongovernmental organisations, opposition parties and the Catholic Church as "just a racket" and stressed that the government had no reason to sell Croatia's national resources.
"I am sure this is a good law, and I know the logic of that legislation and what stands behind it. I am prepared now to defend each article of that law," the premier said, adding that what he had heard against this bill in recent days consisted of just a racket and accusations that his cabinet would like to sell Croatia.
"Give me one argument why we would want to sell Croatia's water resources, forests and other natural resources? Why would this government do it? We have no reason for that," Milanovic stressed.
The bill clearly defines procedures and defines what Croatian interests are and it also removes barriers. It is out of the question that we will put on sale protected things, we will not privatise them, he added.
He said that the bill should first be passed, as such efforts aimed at job creation and investments should not be given up in times of crisis.
If the implementation of the law proves different, we can abandon it and withdraw it after its short implementation, but we are not giving up the struggle for economic development and for making doing business in Croatia simpler, the premier said.
