ZAGREB, 18 July, 2021- Gross premiums written by Croatian insurance companies in the first six months of 2021 totalled HRK 6.4 billion, which is a 13.1% increase year-on-year, show data released by the Croatian Insurance Bureau (HUO).

Gross non-life insurance premiums increased by 13.1% to HRK 4.8 billion, and gross life insurance premiums went up by 13.3% to HRK 1.6 billion.

Motor vehicle liability insurance continues to be the most prevalent type of non-life insurance, with gross premiums written in the amount of HRK 1.5 billion, an increase of 17% on the year.

Traditional life insurance plans accounted for the largest portion of life insurance, with premiums in the amount of HRK 1.3 billion, 14.6% up from June 2020.

Croatia Osiguranje, Euroherz, Allianz cover a half of insurance market

Croatia Osiguranje (CO) still holds the biggest market share in terms of gross premiums, of 26.7%, with gross premiums written having increased by 7.9% on the year, to HRK 1.7 billion.

It is followed by Euroherc, with a market share of 11.5% and an increase in gross premiums written of 14.8% to HRK 736.7 million.

Allianz ranks third, and it registered an increase in gross premiums written of 11.8% to HRK 719.9 million, and a market share of 11.2%.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

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ZAGREB, 18 July, 2021 - A free of charge application, intended to help diabetes patients, was launched on Sunday after it had been developed for the last two years, the application's executive director, Davor Skeledžija, stated in a press release.

He explains that this free application helps in the location and connecting of and providing information to diabetes patients.

The application provides rapid and effective assistance to diabetes patients in the event of loss of life-saving medication. It helps network people who suffer from this disease.

The application is designed for iPhone and Android devices and is available in the App Store and Google Play.

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ZAGREB, 18 July, 2021 - The Croatian National Bank (HNB) Governor, Boris Vujčić, said on Sunday that Croatia's economy would likely reach a growth rate of about 18% in the second quarter of 2021, which was partly due to the low base in the Q2 2020 when the country had experienced a strong downturn.

Vujčić told the press in Dubrovnik where he had formally opened the 27th international economic conference, that Croatia's economic activity for the whole of 2021 would likely rebound at a rate of 6.8%, however, the epidemiological situation caused by the COVID pandemic still created uncertainties.

Vujčić explained that in the worst-case scenario, the GDP could rise by 4.8% in 2021.

The governor underscored a significant role of the government that provided job-retention grants which helped save jobs and made it possible for the recovery to be faster.

The crisis has made the ongoing digitisation processes faster, prompting remote working. I expect a large number of people to go back to work sites. Only after all things go back to normal, we will be provided with the real picture regarding the labour market that has behaved during the pandemic differently than during the big financial crisis in 2009 and 2010. In Croatia, we have already reached the 2019 levels in terms of employment figures and we are now faced with the recurring problem of shortage of skilled workforce, he said.

Commenting on the European Union's Next Generation plan, he said that that would be crucial for the economic recovery in the medium term.

In the next two years, the maximum of available funds will be tapped, and this amount of the funds withdrawn from the EU will have a positive impact on Croatia's GDP, according to his explanation.

The 27th Dubrovnik Economic Conference brought together about 70 experts and researchers from abroad and Croatia as well as representatives of financial institutions, central banks and the financial sector.

Some of the topics on the agenda of the conference are the further strengthening of the role of the state, particularly through the EU Next Generation programme, exchange mechanisms, corporate bankruptcies and so on.

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ZAGREB, 18 July, 2021 - In the last 24 hours, out of 3,469 tests performed for coronavirus, 107, that is 3.0%, have returned positive, Croatia's national COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Sunday.

There are now 744 active cases, and of them 121 are hospitalised patients, including 12 placed on ventilators.

The COVID-related death toll has increased by two to 8,238 in the last 24 hours.

Since the first registered case of the infection with this novel virus in Croatia on 25 February 2020, more than 2,217,000 tests have been conducted showing that 361,595 people have caught the virus, and of them 352,613 have recovered to date, including 84 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

Vaccine rollout: Over 2.9 million COVID vaccine doses administered to date

To date, 2,915,530 million vaccines against this infection have been administered, and 47.1% of the adult population has been inoculated.

Until 17 July, 1,588,753 persons were vaccinated, and of them 1,363,876 were fully vaccinated (1,326,777 people were double-jabbed plus 37,099 who received the single-dose Jannsen vaccine). Thus, 40.52% of the adult citizens have fully been vaccinated.

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ZAGREB, 18 July, 2021 - At the end of the first quarter of 2021, Croatian citizens' financial assets totalled HRK 545.3 billion, up 8.4% on the year, according to central bank data.

Compared with the end of 2020, the increase was 2%.

Deposits make up half of financial assets

Deposits continued to dominate in household financial assets, exceeding HRK 271 billion and making up almost 50% of those assets, followed by insurance and pensions (over HRK 152 billion), and equity, shares and investment funds (over HRK 100 billion).

Financial liabilities HRK 153 bn

At the end of March 2021, household financial obligations totalled HRK 153 billion, up 2.5% from the end of March 2020 and 1.7% from the end of 2020.

Loans made up the lion's share of household financial obligations, reaching HRK 143.76 billion, up 1.7% from the end of March 2020.

These trends with assets and obligations resulted in an almost 11% annual increase in the financial net value of the household sector, to HRK 392 billion at the end of March 2021. Compared with the end of 2020, the increase was 2.4%, continuing the trend of a gradual but consistent increase.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

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July 18, 2021 - The 2021 Pula Film Festival is held in 15 locations, four of which are reserved for the film program with more than 90 screenings.

Without traditional fireworks, with a limited number of spectators, and in compliance with all epidemiological measures, the 68th Pula Film Festival was opened in the Pula Arena on Saturday night with a festive program and screening of the Croatian film "Murina" directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, reports Jutarnji List.

The envoy of the Croatian president, special advisor for culture Zdravko Zima, said at the opening that Pula was recognized and will remain so in the future - as a unique place of pilgrimage for many film workers. As he pointed out, it is a city mentioned because of its many sights, because of the film festival and the Book Fair, and he concluded the address by assessing that "art is permanent, and human lives are short."

State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture Krešimir Partl, as an envoy of the Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Media, said that the 68th edition of the Pula Film Festival is taking place in different challenging circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic. He pointed out that the pandemic had suspended numerous projects, but as he said, "although there are fewer films, they are of high quality and have already been awarded at festivals" and therefore believes that the program can be beautiful.

"Behind us is a challenging year that has particularly hit the culture and audio-visual sector. However, I believe a better time is ahead of us, and the Government will do everything in its power to help normalize and restart economic and cultural activities," said Secretary of State Partl.

He said that the Ministry of Culture is proud of this year's Croatian program, the authors, producers, artists, and employees who managed to complete the shooting and production of films presented at this festival in difficult circumstances.

The mayor of Pula, Filip Zoričić, said that the pandemic had left its mark on the cultural sector and that the connection between film and Pula was deeply rooted in the city's tradition.

"The festival is part of our past and part of the future. Pula is a city of film, and we will work to extend the film story of three thousand years of Pula through quality programs throughout the year," said Zoričić. He expressed the desire for the festival to outgrow its framework and become an even more important social and cultural moment of modern and urban Pula.

"Pula is a city of culture, Pula is the Croatian Rome, which especially evokes respect and culture. The film sums up all the arts, and that is a special feeling of freedom, the freedom we always have to talk about. The film and the book give us the opportunity to travel, dream, fantasize, ask questions and give some answers," said Mayor Zoričić. As he pointed out at the end of his speech, "the Pula Film Festival is a world festival, a European, regional, Croatian, but above all a Pula Film Festival."

Like every edition, films will be shown on the most beautiful natural stage under the open sky until Friday.

Members of the Croatian Program Jury are Polish screenwriter and director Pawel Pawlikowski, actress Zrinka Cvitešić, director Danilo Šerbedžija, assistant professor at the University of Split Academy of Arts Mirko Pivčević, and artistic director of the Chicago International Film Festival Mimi Plauche.

The festival opened with a screening of the Croatian film "Murina," debutant Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, the first screening of the film after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Camera d'Or award for the best debut film. This is one of the greatest successes of Croatian film.

1,500 spectators in the Arena could enter without COVID certificates.

The Pula Film Festival is held in 15 locations, four of which are reserved for the film program with more than 90 screenings, and of the films in competition, there are six Croatian and ten co-productions.

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July 18, 2021 - Split Ferry Port traffic is rising, with 50,000 passengers and 12,500 cars expected over the weekend!

It is the third weekend in July when traffic jams are expected everywhere on the coast and inland. This Saturday in Split saw the usual scenes of congestion from Pazar, over to the Ferry Port, and the bridge at Bačvice, where Split's eternal summer traffic jam was in full force, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

However, the conditions are rather good considering the current works on the extension of the City Port.

Despite everything, short-term crowds in the port are created only before and after the vehicles leave the ferry, which Jelena Ivulić from Jadrolinija confirmed.

"Considering all the circumstances surrounding the current epidemiological situation, we must be satisfied because our turnover is 68 percent compared to 2019.

This weekend we expect about 50 thousand passengers and 12,500 vehicles in the Split Ferry Port. On Friday, we had an extra line to Supetar, and here and now, an extra line is going in the same direction.

Our ferries are full in both directions, actually, and there aren’t any major delays except when disembarking, but that’s resolved quickly. It is very lively here, we work 24 hours a day, and everyone is in their place, from the employees of Jadrolinija to the Port Authority and the police," Ivulić said.

She added that all ferries are well filled, mostly for the islands of Brač, Hvar, and Vis, and considering the night shifts, drivers know how to wait for the first ferries overnight in the port to avoid the crowds in the heat.

"We don't like color changes, from green to orange, and maybe to red. We hope that the situation will return to normal if everyone adheres to epidemiological measures. Certainly, we are recording positive growth in traffic in the port of Split, so let it stay that way," Ivulić said optimistically. 

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July 18, 2021 - The Goran Ivanišević Tennis Hall of Fame induction speech was done in Goran fashion, with a touch of humor, a lot of emotion, and paid tribute to everything Croatia has given him. 

"This is a dream come true," said Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanišević to conclude his speech at a ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, where the 49-year-old from Split became the first Croat to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Along with Ivanišević, Conchita Martinez, the first Spaniard to win the Wimbledon title in 1994, was inducted into the 2020 Hall of Fame at the same ceremony.

From the 2021 generation, this honor was given to the "Original 9", nine players led by Billie Jean King, who were the pioneers of the fight for equal status and rights between tennis players and the founders of today's WTA Tour, and posthumously included in the Hall of Fame coach and educator Dennis Van der Meer known by the nickname “Teacher of teachers.”

Goran was introduced to the company of tennis immortals by his boy idol John McEnroe. The medal of a member of the International Hall of Fame was hung around his neck by the president of this organization and its member Stan Smith.

"I love Goran Ivanišević, and I am immensely excited to be able to bring into the Hall of Fame someone who can be said to have been crazier on the court than I was. I played against Goran a lot of times, I watched and commented on his matches many times, and I have to say he always kept me on the edge of my seat because I never knew what would happen next, and I’m not sure he knew either. His unpredictability is one of the reasons why we loved him and why it was so hard to play against him. What he did on the court, Goran did in his own way. It would certainly be good to have such players in tournaments ... I am proud to present my friend and a new member of the International Hall of Fame," said John McEnroe, introducing Goran to the Hall of Fame. 

"I don't think I'm crazier than you, but I'm very close. I love you, I love your tennis, you are the reason why I started playing tennis and - yes, I beat you many times," said Goran to open his speech.

He thanked the representatives of "Original 9" for initiating changes in tennis and for their courage. He said that there is no "better and more pleasant person" than Conchita Martinez to be inducted with. 

"42 years ago, I started this trip from the small town of Split in Croatia, and today it will end in Newport. Along the way, I have to thank some people with whom I went through good and bad moments, ups and downs," Goran said before listing the names of all his coaches, "because they helped him become the player he was."

"Laci Kačer, Mek Ercegović, Zoran Ilić, Niki Pilić, Boško Čavka, Balasz Taroczy, Mario Tudor, Vedran Martić and, most importantly for me, Bob Brett who is no longer with us, but proud of me up there."

Then he remembered his teammates and members of the Davis Cup national teams.

"I had the honor to play for two countries, first for Yugoslavia and then for Croatia. First, I will mention Bob Živojinović and captain Radmilo Armenulić, who helped me a lot on the Yugoslavia team. From my Croatia team, coaches Željko Franulović and Niki Pilić, Goran Prpić, Bruno Orešar, Ivan Ljubičić, Mario Ančić, Saša Hiršzon, Igor Šarić and Ivo Karlović. We played together, laughed, and won the Davis Cup in 2005."

He also thanked all the players he met on the ATP Tour.

"Some of them ruined my life. Nearly. They all made me a better player, and that’s why I’m here today."

Thanks were also given to Goran's friends, who believed in him even when it was impossible, who raised him when he despaired, and who always had nice words for him.

Goran's fans also got a special place.

"It was not easy to be my fan," said Ivanišević with plenty of laughter from the audience.

"It was frustrating, it was sad, probably a lot of people got divorced because of me. But one thing is for sure - it was fun to be my fan."

Journalists also received their share of gratitude.

"We had fun, we often did not agree, but there was mutual respect," he said, and he singled out one special person from the crowd, who accompanied him as a ten-year-old - Neven Bertičević.

"Neven, thank you for every wonderful word you have written about me."

A special space in gratitude was given to those who sacrificed the most for the career of the new Hall of Fame resident - father Srdjan and mother Gorana.

"The two most important people in my career - mom and dad. Two people sacrificed their health, careers, and time and gave me unconditional love to succeed. Mom and Dad, there are no words I can thank you for, nor can I do anything to thank you for all you have done for me. If I had to go through this trip again, I would choose you for mom and dad again, and we would go together again. I love you and thank you for everything."

He also thanked his children: Oliver, who is "too young to know who his father is, but loves him," and Emanuel and Amber, who are big enough and "feel proud of what their father has achieved."

Then it was his wife's turn.

"When I was starting to be good (tennis player), she was still a girl. She didn’t know about me, nor did she know anything about tennis. Twenty-something years later, she stands here extremely proud and beautiful. Thank you for your support and love."

Goran has not forgotten the people responsible for his historical success, which made him a tennis legend.

"I thank the Wimbledon committee for awarding me the invitation. I don’t know if they did a good job and if they regret it, but thank you, guys - if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be standing here now. It was a good decision."

In the end, Goran left thanks to "one city and one country."

"My hometown of Split - a city that has given so many wonderful people and wonderful athletes. The city gave me the most beautiful and safest childhood, where I could become a tennis player as I am today and as I was. Everything I built through my career, I brought from that city and became the man I am today. To my country. You know, we are a small country with a big heart. We never stop believing. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but I’ve never stopped believing. For the first time in my life, I can say that I am proud of myself."

In the end, he remembered the company that faithfully followed him on the road to his greatest achievement at Wimbledon in 2001.

"Boys, you made me proud. We did things our way, harder, but it was our way. But only I go inside. You can come and visit me, but I deserved to come in," said Goran with a standing ovation from the audience and concluded:

"This is the end. This is a dream come true."

Source: HRT

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