Davor Bozinovic: Cruisers Will Soon be Allowed in Dubrovnik
August 11, 2020 - The head of the National Civil Protection Headquarters and Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said that the Headquarters would probably agree to the request of Dubrovnik Mayor, Mato Frankovic, allowing cruisers to enter Dubrovnik.
Index.hr reports that the head of the National Civil Protection Headquarters and Interior Minister said that the Croatian curve was in a downward phase with a tendency to decline further.
Asked what the government is doing to control the damage, as more and more tourists claim to have been infected on holiday in Croatia, Bozinovic said: "There are such examples, but not all have been confirmed. There is a European system of early detection and action, and some of the cases that were in the media did not go through that system."
"We expect that the countries that put us on the yellow list will remove us from that list. We have 18 cases per 100,000 people, and now there are a million more people in Croatia," the minister said as a guest on Dnevnik NovaTV.
When asked what will happen to closed nightclubs in the fall, he replied:
"We are in contact with the representatives of that industry and our goal is for them to survive, but also to preserve people's health. They are also interested in people's health, and they have to live from something," he said, adding that all options are being considered.
Asked by a journalist if he could imagine going out with a protective mask, he replied that he did not remember the last time he was at a nightclub in person, but that the measures should definitely be adhered to.
Bozinovic also said that the National Headquarters would probably agree to the request of the mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Frankovic, to allow the entry of cruisers.
"We are in contact with the mayor and I think we will allow this very soon. Some more technical details need to be resolved, such as what to do if people are infected on board, but I think we are close to deciding to allow it."
Recall, Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic asked the National Civil Protection Headquarters to change the rule banning the entry of ships with more than two hundred passengers into Croatian ports.
This is because the global cruise line MSC did not include Dubrovnik in its cruise program.
Namely, representatives of the company have previously expressed interest in including Dubrovnik in the travel program, but the limiting factor for the arrival of larger ships on cruises to Dubrovnik is the rule, according to which ships with more than 200 passengers cannot enter Croatian ports at the moment.
Frankovic briefed Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the National Civil Protection Headquarters Davor Bozinovic and Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butkovic on this very topic.
Following Bozinovic's instructions, Frankovic submitted to the County Institute of Public Health detailed procedures introduced by the MSC for its ships, as well as procedures to be carried out by the Dubrovnik Port Authority and the City of Dubrovnik.
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Brodosplit Building 4 New Croatian Navy Vessels, Each Worth 80 Million Kuna
Croatian shipbuilding hasn't had an easy ride of it of late, with both Uljanik in Pula and 3.Maj in Rijeka suffering for a long period of time. Brodosplit, however, has always managed to keep its head above water and remain a formidable player on the market.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 10th of August, 2020, exactly four months after the signing of the contract for the construction of four new coastal patrol boats commissioned for the Croatian Navy, their construction will begin on Monday at the well known Brodosplit shipyard near the City of Split. The agreed price of each ship stands at a massive 80 million kuna including VAT, according to a report from Jutarnji list.
The Brodosplit-built ships, which are each 43.16 metres long and eight metres wide, will be equipped with all of the basic weapons boasted by all modern coast guard vessels. The hull of coastal patrol vessels will be built of high-strength steel AH36, and the superstructure will be made of aluminum alloy.
The new Croatian Navy ships will be equipped with protection against nuclear-biological-chemical action and they will be equipped with a stern ramp and a 7.7-metre-long rigid hull sailing boat for six crew members with a propulsion diesel engine that allows for speeds of up to forty knots. The capacity of these ships is sixteen people each.
The vessels being constructed at Brodosplit will reach speeds of up to 29 knots and with just one load of fuel they will be able to sail 1000 nautical miles at a speed of fifteen knots. During the signing of the contract, the then Minister of Defense, Damir Krsticevic, said that the first of this series of ships should be completed on September the 18th, 2021, and the last sometime in September 2023.
For more on Brodosplit and other Croatian shipyards, follow Made in Croatia.
Coronavirus Pandemic Fails to Destabilise Business for Cromaris
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic brought many previously seemingly untouchable companies to their knees in Croatia and abroad, but for Croatia's fastest growing mariculture company, Cromaris, the negative effects of the pandemic on the economy only further confirmed the toughness this company has managed to acquire. Cromaris received recognition for its top quality.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 11th of August, 2020, the Italians, and Italy is the primary export market for Cromaris, have long rated their products as far better than their competitors. An additional confirmation of all this is the "Superior Taste Award" for various fish which draw their origins from this particular Croatian company.
''The award is given by a jury composed of about 200 international chefs who evaluate the items without knowing who produces them,'' said Goran Markulin, the director of Cromaris, for HRT.
Cromaris is currently the most heavily certified company in the entire Mediterranean manufacturing industry. The average growth rate for years has stood at about twenty percent. Things got a little sticky during the lockdown, however, exports didn't stop even then.
''In March and April, we fell by 15 percent when compared to last year, but we returned slightly in May. From June and July, we've on the path to re-growth,'' revealed Markulin.
''All Cromaris farms are certified with the most important and demanding eco-certificates in the AFC world and we're the only company in the seabass and gilthead seabream industry that has 100 percent of its farms certified with this standard,'' the company noted.
Aquaculture, for which significant funds have been allocated so far through the Maritime and Fisheries Fund, will soon have its own development strategy lasting until 2030.
For more on Cromaris and other Croatian companies, follow our dedicated business section.
2.3 Billion Kuna: Croatian Railways Begins Biggest Individual Project
An enormous individual project for Croatian Railways is about to kick off, backed with 2.3 billion kuna and considerable help from European Union funds.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 10th of August, 2020, HZ Infrastructure is starting the reconstruction of the existing track and the construction of the second track of the railway from Hrvatski Leskovac to Karlovac, and the estimated value of works on this project is the largest of all individual works undertaken by Croatian Railways so far, amounting to 2.3 billion kuna without VAT, as was reported by Vecernji list on Monday.
According to HZ Infrastructure, the tender for this line will be announced in September, and the tender documentation is currently being reviewed by the Central Agency for Financing and Contracting of EU Programmes and Projects (CFCA), because this project is also co-financed in the amount of 85 percent by European Union funds. The Hrvatski Leskovac section is part of the Rijeka - Hungarian border railway, and the conversion of a single-track line into a two-track line from Zagreb to the border has already begun. Works are already being carried out on the Dugo Selo - Krizevci section, and the contractor for the Krizevci - state border section has already been put into operation.
With the realisation of the Hrvatski Leskovac - Karlovac project, the works on the transformation of this Croatian railway into a modern two-track railway from Zagreb to Rijeka will start.
The Rijeka - Zagreb - Budapest railway is part of the Mediterranean TEN-T corridor. The realisation of this project, as well as other sections on which works are being performed and on which they are planned, will increase the competitiveness of the Port of Rijeka by improving its transport connections with the markets across Central Europe, the aforementioned publication writes. With the reconstruction of the existing track and construction of the second track on the section Hrvatski Leskovac - Karlovac in the length of 44.02 kilometres, the section will be able to boast a maximum speed of 160 km/h, except in the area of Mavracic, Jastrebarsko and Karlovac, where it will be 120 and 140 km/h due to the space constraints. The current single-track electrified railway will also become double-track.
As for other sections on the Rijeka - state border line, ie the lowland railway project, HZ Infrastructure says that the main project for the Skrljevo - Rijeka - Jurdani section is underway and that they plan to apply for European Union funds in the second half of next year for that project. For the Karlovac - Ostarije section, which is 40 kilometres long, a tender for the preparation of the study documentation is in progress. The preparation of the study documentation for the Ostarije - Skrljevo section is also currently in progress.
Croatia also expects co-financing from EU funds for the remaining Rijeka-state border line section, and according to the announcements of the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, the entire project could be completed by 2027.
For more on Croatian railways and other investments in Croatia, follow our dedicated business section.
Oleg Butkovic: 200 Million Euro Investment for Istrian Y, Ucka Tunnel
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 10th of August, 2020, The Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, said on Saturday that the extension of the Bina-Istra concession (which will go on until 2039) implies an investment of 197 million euros and that the full profile of the Istrian Y should be completed by the time the next Croatian tourist season rolls around.
He also noted that the second pipe of the Ucka tunnel and the full profile of the highway should be completed by the year 2024.
"Yesterday we received news that the European Commission (EC) has approved the plan for the Republic of Croatia to extend the Bina-Istra concession until the year 2039, which includes an investment worth 197 million euros, this involves the second pipe of the Ucka tunnel and the full profile of the Kvarner highway, which is in Primorje-Gorski Kotar county,'' stated the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure.
''The contract for that will be extended until the year 2039, although we believe that the loans will be repaid earlier and that we'll repay the investment by the year 2037, after which everything will become the property of the Republic of Croatia, the entire Istrian Y, including the two pipes of the Ucka tunnel,'' Oleg Butkovic said.
The Minister noted that the full profile of the Istrian Y to the Ucka tunnel is being built, that it will be finished by the beginning of the time 2021's tourist season arrives, and that the second pipe of the Ucka tunnel and the full profile of the motorway should be finished by the end of 2023.
"It is a continuation of construction and investment in large infrastructure projects, with a special emphasis placed on transport in Croatia," noted Minister Oleg Butkovic, emphasising that around 25 billion kuna is now being invested.
For more on investments in Croatia, follow our business section.
HZZ Records 151,433 Jobless in July
ZAGREB, Aug 10, 2020 - At the end of July 2020, there were 151,433 unemployed persons in Croatia, an increase by 0.5% on the month and by 32.4% on the year, the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) said on Monday.
In July, after two months of decrease, the number of persons unemployed again increased on the month, by 782 persons.
Daily data by the HZZ indicates that unemployment also continued to grow at the beginning of August and at the moment there are 153,387 jobless, or 1,954 more than at the end of July. There are 8,502 vacant jobs advertised.
On the year, the increase in the number of persons unemployed slowed down slightly, after it was 35.5% y-o-y in May and 34.3% y-o-y in June, to 32.4% in July, with 37,044 more people registering with the employment service than in July 2019.
A quarter of jobless on the dole
The number claiming dole in July this year was 37,679 or 24.9% unemployed persons. On the year, the number of people receiving unemployment benefits went up by 58.9%.
Observation of Perseids Meteor Shower Organised Throughout Croatia on 12-13 Aug
ZAGREB, Aug 10, 2020 - The Croatian Astronomical Union is organising telescopic viewing of the peak of Perseids meteor shower in the night between 12 and 13 August.
Spectators can expect to see the greatest number of meteors during the shower's peak and this year, the rate of meteors is expected to reach about 100 per hour.
The union also urges local authorities to turn off street-lighting from midnight until the morning of 13 August, so as to enable a better impression to be obtained during this celestial phenomenon also known as the "tears of Saint Lawrence."
Tehnoloski Park in the town of Krizevci and the observatory at Gornje Sitno in Split will be the venues for telescopic viewing late in the night of 11 August.
On 12 August, the viewing will be also organised in Daruvar, Djakovo, Fuzine, and on Artatore Beach in Losinj.
Zadar Port Authority Satisfied With Safety
ZAGREB, Aug 10, 2020 - Adriatic port authorities' interventions have been halved compared with last year, and considering the fact that traffic has been reduced by 30% we are satisfied with the situation regarding safety, state secretary in the Ministry of the Sea and Transport, Josip Bilaver, said on Monday in Zadar.
He underlined that the most common offenses on the sea were related to speeding boats being closer to the shore than 300 metres.
"We are in particular warning them to take note of swimmers and to not sail within less than 300 metres from the shore because this is where the most accidents occur. We inspect all vessels on the sea to see if they are in a proper condition and if their documents are valid. We want to call for responsibility by all participants and to point out the need for education and warn them about the things they need to check and that their vessels are in proper order, to check weather conditions and the like," said Bilaver
He added that it was impossible for port authorities to be present on all the islands, every beach. every inlet at the same time, "That is why we caution speed boat drivers and jet skiers to keep away from the shore because we have seen that the most accidents occur due to jet skiers of speed boats running into divers, swimmers, and others," he said.
Battle of Sinj 1715 to be Reenacted on August 12
August 10, 2020 - Let's hop in the Sinj time machine and go back to 1715 when it all began! The Battle of Sinj reenactment will be held this Wednesday, August 12.
Organized by the Sinj Tourist Board, on Wednesday, August 12, at 8:30 pm, the 1715 Battle of Sinj, as well as the events that had just preceded it, will be reenacted at King Tomislav Square (Pijaci)!
The historical spectacle takes place in two acts.
The first act is staged on Sinj's main square, when the Ottomans conquered the town of Sinj in a dramatic and violent raid, set fire to the church, and took the people into slavery. Incredibly realistic light and sound effects contribute to the authenticity of the scenes.
The second act takes place in the original ambiance of Alkarski dvori. The Defense Council, despite the almost hopeless situation, does not even think of retreating and decides to defend its city from a more numerous, superior and stronger enemy.
According to tradition, it was with Our Lady's help that the Ottomans were defeated, and Sinj freed from the threat of the enemy, leaving the walls of Christianity. Led by Fr. Pavle Vučković (embodied by high school professor, scientist, writer, editor and publisher Fr. Gabrijel Hrvatin Jurišić, a self-effacing priest and an inexhaustible source of wisdom, he recently celebrated a diamond Mass and a brilliant 60 years of priesthood), joyful and grateful believers have since celebrated their patron with even greater zeal.
The author of the dramatic template is prof. Velimir Borkovic. The play was realized in cooperation with the Shrine of the Miraculous Lady in Sinj and the Alka Knights Society. Numerous actors from amateur theaters are participating, and the main characters are Gabrijel Jurišić, Marko Duvnjak, Bruno Barać, Marijan Grbavac, Damir Žane Alebić, Saša Miletić, Bobo Delonga, Dijana Ivić Kundid, Bože Pavić, Vedrana Vrgoč, Sanja Gojun, Anđelka Vučković, Mario Vujević, Marko Jelinčić, Anđelka Vučković, Dino Vuković, Dubravka Vuković, Marija Mandac, members of KU Marko Marulić, GZ Brodosplit, historical units of Kliški uskok, Veterans' Cooperative Patriot, Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, dance theater GMS, KUD Dicmo, KUD Glavice, Sinj majorettes, the Association for the Preservation of the Heritage of the Cetina Region, the Association of Rera and Gusle from Otok, the Sinj Ferali, the horsemen of the Alka Knights Society, the horses of the Alka Stable, and Mr. Davor Ivkovic.
Nikola Belancic
The director is prominent theater, television and film actor Robert Kurbaša, the assistant director is Bruno Barać, and the playwright and producer is Luka Perković. This year's novelty is the performance of the Brodosplit City Choir under the direction of Mr. Vlado Sunko, a famous music pedagogue, conductor and composer, with the performance of the cantata Our Lady of Sinj.
The Battle of Sinj in 1715 is a unique stage spectacle - under the auspices of the August night of Sinj; the entire city becomes a stage that, with its originality, transports the viewer 305 years into the past!
All visitors are asked to adhere to the recommendations of the Civil Protection Headquarters and the Croatian Institue of Public Health. The volunteers will take care to implement all necessary measures so that everyone can be safe and responsible.
To read more about Sinj, follow TCN's dedicated page.
HNS Confirms: 2020/21 Croatian Football Season Without Spectators Until Further Notice
August 10, 2020 - The HNS Executive Board has decided that the matches of the Croatian First League, the Second HNL, the Croatian Football Cup, and the youth competition will be played without the presence of spectators.
HNS announced on its website:
"At the proposal of the Competition Commission of the HNS and the Working Group for the Return of Football, the Executive Board of the Croatian Football Federation decided that the matches of the Croatian Telecom First League, Croatian Football Cup, Second Croatian Football League, First Croatian Junior Football League and First Croatian Football league for pioneers and cadets in the competition year 2020/21, will be played without spectators until further notice.
This decision builds on the decision made by the Executive Board on July 20, 2020, which determined that the end of the 2019/20 competition year will take place without the presence of spectators in stadiums, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The new season of the Croatian First League will be opened by Varazdin and Gorica, who will meet on August 14 at the NK Varazdin stadium."
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
