Borna Debelić

Road Connections Affecting the Competitiveness Strengthening of the Port of Ploče

Due to its geographical situation, the port of Ploče has become a junction of land and sea routes within the Transport Corridor Vc, as a part of the Mediterranean Transport Corridor, passing through Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Hungary. The paper deals with the analysis of the connecting roads leading from the port of Ploče as well as with the evaluation of the respective road traffic volume. Although the congestion on certain road sections is related to the tourist transit traffic, the road traffic volume at the Transport Corridor Vc within Bosnia and Herzegovina indicates the need for the construction of a motorway to stretch out the Corridor. The planned modernisation will fundamentally improve the main road infrastructure on the Transport Corridor Vc that will facilitate the transport of goods and enable shorter travel time from the port of Ploče to the hinterland. Considering that the major portion of the freight transport from the port of Ploče uses road transport services, the envisaged modernisation will significantly increase competitiveness of the port, mostly due to the intermodal transport mode.

ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF PRIVATISATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES SECTOR IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA EMPHASISING MARITIME-PASSENGER TRAFFIC

Abstract Economic effects of every strategic decision on national economy level are important aspect of total economic policy and are strong determinant of generating future economic prosperity and development from the microeconomic, thru mezoeconomic pending to macroeconomic level of observing competitive performances. In this scientific work the analysis of economic effects of privatization is carried out in dependence on the particularities of the public services sector. The methodology of scientific work includes the comparison of specific sensitivity of these sectors caused by specific long-term position, which are a strong determinant and limiting factor in adoption of optimal decisions about their privatization. The purpose of this scientific work is, in the context of complex issues about selection of time frame and the model of privatization in case that privatization is final decision, to modulate basic parameters to make optimal decisions. The results of the research show that the economic outputs of privatization of the public services sector depend primarily on the chosen model of privatization and the implementation time framework, what indicates that privatization of such sector requires a sui generis approach to determinants of the privatization process since they incorporate important characteristics of a public good, and the problem extends from the pre-phase elements of privatization and market position consolidation of the privatization object to the care for the creation of preconditions for successful accomplishment of microcompetitiveness in the sector and institutional environment to promote growth and competitiveness.