Economy Minister Tomislav Coric reiterated on Monday the government would do everything to make the gas and electricity price rises as low as possible and that prices would not go up before 1 April.

He was responding to questions from the press in Slavonski Brod about media reports that gas distributors had warned the government that they would incur losses unless they raised prices.

“As a government, through the regulatory framework and the measures we undertook, we did everything so that electricity and gas prices wouldn’t increase by 1 April, when the gas season ends,” Coric said, adding that prices would go up on 1 April.

“The price of electricity has increased at very high percentages at the level of the whole European Union and that is unavoidable. In the weeks ahead, the ministry will see that the correction is as mild as possible.”

Speaking of the possibility of the Djuro Djakovic company equipping and maintaining Bradley combat vehicles, Coric said the Economy Ministry would support any step by the company towards sustainable business.

He added that the decision on Croatia’s buying the vehicles from the US was up to the Defence Ministry.