ZAGREB, July 25, 2019 – The government on Thursday endorsed a set of projects related to co-financing the equipping of sports halls in Međimurje County, for the establishment of a branch of the Croatian Institute of History regarding the Zrinski and Frankopan families as well as the construction of an education centre in Čakovec.
A total of 2 million kuna has been secured from this year’s budget to co-finance the equipping of several sports halls in the county, Science and Education Minister Blaženka Divjak said during a cabinet meeting in Čakovec.
The project regarding the history branch dedicated to the Zrinski and Frankopan families in Čakovec is aimed at motivating the development of history studies in northwest Croatia and the ministry has secured 488,580 kuna from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 state budgets for this project.
Međimurje County has for years been a forerunner with its economic status and the history of the Zrinski family is virtually a trademark of Čakovec. The new history branch will ensure institutional support for the development of the research segment of that cultural-historical legacy, Minister Divjak said.
A project for the construction of an education centre in Čakovec was also endorsed, which is aimed at providing equal opportunities for disabled children. The existing building was erected in 1971. It consists of eight classrooms and can cater for 70 students with minor disabilities. In the 2018/2019 school year, 166 students attended the school.
A decision was adopted to establish a public social welfare centre in Prelog and newly appointed Minister for Demography, the Family, Youth and Social Policy Vesna Bedeković noted that the current centre in Čakovec cannot cater for the large population in the county.
The government also handed over land to several municipalities for housing projects.
Cabinet also discussed improvements of living conditions for the Roma national minority in the county. Interior Minister Davor Božinović said that the education of Roma children was continually improving, which can be seen in the growing number of scholarships being granted.
Employment of Roma has received 19% more in funding and the legalisation of housing in the county is continuing. During Croatia’s chairmanship of the EU next year particular attention will be dedicated to improving living standards of the Roma community, he underscored.
The government gave its consent for the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts to take on the obligation in the period from 2020 to 2030 to subsidise interest on commercial loans for SMEs in the amount of 51 million kuna.
More Međimurje news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
