ZAGREB, March 17, 2018 – Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Gabrijela Žalac and representatives of municipalities, towns and counties signed on Hvar island 40 agreements worth 19 million kuna (around 2.53 million euro) as part of the government’s programme for the development of islands in 2018.
Žalac’s ministry said in a statement it was continuing to implement the programme for island development by supporting small capital projects designed to promote the quality of life on islands and reduce regional development imbalances in the country. The programme covers all inhabited islands in six regional government units, that is, six coastal and island counties to which those islands belong.
Government aid for islands refers to projects having to do with transport, municipal and social infrastructure, social welfare and economy, and donations to non-profit organisations.
Žalac said that she was very pleased that this year, most of the projects referred to improvement of social infrastructure – construction and renovation of kindergartens, playgrounds and sports halls.
Investments by the state and public sectors in islands and in the peninsula of Pelješac amount to 1.5 billion kuna annually on average. In 2016, that amount was 1.7 billion, of which the ministry contributed 120 million kuna, while in 2017 it contributed 139 million kuna.
