April 1 (SeeNews) - The World Bank said it has approved a 100 million euro ($110 million) loan to Croatia to help improve the business regulatory procedures and justice service standards in the country.
"Increasing the capacity of the state to swiftly respond to the needs of citizens and firms, particularly during these times of crisis, is especially important. Improved justice sector infrastructure and services will benefit both citizens and businesses," the bank's country manager for Croatia and Slovenia, Elisabetta Capannelli, said in a statement.
"Businesses will benefit from having a simpler and more transparent way to interact with government agencies and faster and more responsive mechanisms to interact with the courts, and all citizens will benefit from more effective, efficient and reliable administration of justice and rule of law," she added.
The project is focused on reducing the administrative burden for companies in interacting with the government, removing regulatory barriers for firms to enter the market and operate, simplifying dealing with construction permits and improving market functioning in the construction sector, the statement read.
It will also support the improvement of justice services, such as expanding the use of electronic services to speed up response times and integrate case management systems across different courts.
In addition, the courthouses in Zagreb, Vinkovci, Kutina and Varazdin will be rehabilitated and upgraded for better court performance and user experience, the statement added.
Since joining the World Bank Group in 1993, Croatia has received some $3.5 billion financing for more than 50 projects for the areas of transport, health, innovation, business environment, land administration, agriculture, and economic development of the Slavonia regions, among others.
($=0.911160 euro)