March the 4th, 2021 - Whether a dog does a disappearing act accidentally or is horribly dumped, Croatian dog owners could face considerable fines if they neglect to have microchips implanted into their furry friends.

In addition to mandatory vaccinations and the like, Croatian dog owners must now absolutely microchip their four-legged pals if they want to remain on the right side of the law and avoid fines of up to 6000 kuna. 

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a petition was recently launched to finally making keeping dogs (and indeed cats, although the former is more commonplace) tied up on properties by chains, ropes or leashes. Now the emphasis is being placed on Croatian dog owners and the need for microchipping.

A dog which has decided to scamper off too far following the trail of a cat or a squirrel and become lost, or indeed a dog who has been cruelly abandoned by uncaring humans can be more easily dealt with, as can their owners in the latter case, if they are properly microchipped. The animal can have its chip read at the nearest veterinary clinic, making it easier to return the dog home or indeed make a case against a negligent owner more solid.

Here in Zagreb, the Department for the Supervision of the Keeping and Treatment of Animals of the Communal Police is in charge of supervising the chipping of local dogs. The fines for non-compliance with this rule for Croatian dog owners range from 2,000 to as much as 6,000 kuna, and for legal entities those figures climb much higher, ranging from between 10,000 to a massive 30,000 kuna.

¨It is reasonable to expect that by increasing the number of microchipped dogs, less of them will end up abandoned, so this is a useful measure. By avoiding this, the consequences and costs of irresponsible dog ownership are borne by the community. Every veterinarian knows that after receiving a dog that was found somewhere, they must first check the identity of the animal before beginning any sort of procedure,¨ Lea Kreszinger, president of the Department of Veterinary Practice in Croatia, pointed out for Vecernji list.

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ZAGREB, 4 March, 2021 - Zagreb should in two to three years get its first 20 fuel cell buses in public transport, an investment worth €25 million, it was announced on Thursday at the signing of a cooperation agreement between INA and the City of Zagreb on the introduction of hydrogen in public city transport.

President of the Management Board at the ZET city transportation company, Ljuba Romčević-Žgela, said that the agreement was between the City of Zagreb and Ina, as well as the City and ZET, on further investments in alternative fuels, that is, the purchase of hydrogen buses.

The signatories of the agreement have undertaken to invest in alternative fuels. More specifically, it is about the procurement of 20 hydrogen fuel cell buses, and the construction of a hydrogen fuelling station at ZET's depot in Podsused is also planned.

Žgela expects that the project will be implemented in the next two to three years, with the first year being spent on the preparation of technical documentation.

Head of City Office for Economy, Energy and Environment Protection, Mirka Jozić, underscored that this was the first project to start mass application of hydrogen in Zagreb and Croatia.

"We are creating a new market for this energy source of the future. The estimated value of 20 hydrogen buses and supporting infrastructure is €25 million, and this will be financed by non-repayable EU funds," she said.

According to her, ZET's bus fleet today consists of 441 buses with an average age of 10.9, which cover a total of 29 million kilometres a year. Over the past few years, she said, the fleet has been modernised, so a good number of buses run on gas.

INA Management Board member Niko Dalić said that hydrogen was a clean fuel, with no harmful gases, and that hydrogen vehicles did not make noise. He is satisfied that ZET and Zagreb have recognised the advantage of hydrogen.

March the 4th, 2021 - Croatian travel agencies have been by far the hardest hit by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as travel for tourism and leisure remains almost impossible. Luckily, but following many appeals, the Croatian Travel Agency Association has finally been heard by the government and state aid is on the way.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Croatian Travel Agency Association (UHPA) has welcomed the recently announced decision of the Croatian Government to include tourist agencies in the measures for state aid/compensation for endangered economic activities. Although better late than never, it is difficult to understand how those representing Croatia´s most lucrative economic branch were not taken care of far earlier.

"I´m going to say just one word - finally. Finally, the requests and appeals we´ve been sending out to the relevant ministry and the Croatian Government for months, warning of the difficult situation in which the tourism industry, and especially travel agencies find themselves find themselves, have borne fruit,¨ said Tomislav Fain, President of the Croatian Travel Agency Association.

According to the data of the Tax Administration and the Central Bureau of Statistics (CES), the average decline in the economic activities undertaken by Croatian travel agencies during 2020 was continuously above 85 percent. These utterly devastating results carry even more weight if we take into account the fact that these are mostly small and medium-sized family businesses that, in order to ensure the liquidity of the business, among other things, were forced to sell off their own assets.

The Croatian Travel Agency Association has therefore persistently sent out proposals for assistance and compensation models to the competent state institutions, following the example of other EU member states, which have adopted measures aimed exclusively at travel agencies and tour operators, aware of the gravity of the problem and the possible consequences of their illiquidity.

"None of us are happy with the helplessness we´ve found ourselves in, nor with the uncertainty from month to month as to whether the subsidies for preserving jobs will be extended, but we can't do this. Instead of planning spring trips across Europe and looking forward to the arrival of the first guests for the Easter holidays, we find ourselves in a situation where state measures are our only means of salvation. As, unfortunately, the end of the pandemic is not yet in sight, we´re faced with the problem of unrealised trips and we´re as such highlighting the need for changes in the legislation and the announced state aid programme, as it is extremely important in order to restore the damaged trust of our customers,¨ added Fain.

"Tourism as we knew it before the pandemic is now a thing of the past. While we´re dealing with our multiple existential problems and fighting for survival, the battle for each guest is well underway. It is high time that we all move from words to deeds and everyone in their segment needs to give their all and we need to justify the title we have given ourselves as the best destination in the Mediterranean,¨ concluded the President of the Croatian Travel Agency Association.

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March the 4th, 2021 - Former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has always been known for her diversity when it comes to turning her hand to various things, and she has stepped outside of the political box once again with her newest role.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, the Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZSEM), the oldest business school in all of Croatia, leads the Olympic committees of four countries and two elite European universities in creating an educational programme for professionals, which will enable them to follow new business careers after finishing with the sporting world.

In addition to ZSEM, the consortium consists of the Olympic Committees of Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Institute of Sports in Slovenia and two elite universities - the Stockholm School of Economics from Sweden whose professors participate in selecting Nobel Prize winners and the German WHU - the Otto Beisheim School of Management & Euromasters, whose master's programme in management was ranked among the top three in the entire world by the prestigious Financial Times (FT) magazine.

As stated, the MLEA (Micro Learning Entrepreneurship for Athletes) project will develop specialised, "tailor made" programmes to enable current and former athletes in the region to acquire the necessary business knowledge and skills to facilitate their often difficult and confusing transition from the sporting world to business and entrepreneurial careers. The project will also include elements of gamification and the employment of micro-learning methodology.

The business schools of Sweden and Germany involved in the project have been developing their world-renowned sports and management centres for years now, functioning as interdisciplinary research centres boasting expertise in a wide range of areas from management and marketing to international business and finance. Through this project, ZSEM intends to lay the foundations for the creation of a similar sports centre here in Southeastern Europe.

The former President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic will more than likely succeed in her new position of ZSEM Advisor for International Affairs

The project will, as touched on, also include the former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic as the new advisor of ZSEM for international affairs. She otherwise became a member of the International Olympic Committee last year. In her new position, the former Croatian president will support ZSEM's ambition to further expand in terms of international cooperation and even more actively engage in international projects.

"Since its establishment, ZSEM has been internationally oriented and we are continuously working on strengthening ties with those who are similar and the best business schools and universities around the world. We believe that this global networking is one of our greatest qualities and unique values ​​that we can provide to our students. Therefore, we want to continue to strengthen our international cooperation and our global recognition and position in the coming years. The arrival of Ms. Grabar-Kitarovic in our team can undoubtedly help us significantly. We´re glad that she will share her rich and valuable life and professional experience she gained in her previous positions with us and our students,¨ said dr.sc. Mato Njavro Dean of ZSEM.

Former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, a member of the International Olympic Committee and the Croatian Club of Olympians, pointed out that former presidents across the world are engaged in education after the end of their political careers, and that she is glad that she got such an opportunity.

"The way ZSEM works and its ambitions for further development and international positioning have opened space for our cooperation. It started with a project related to sports and ZSEM's desire to position itself as a regional centre for athlete education in the future. It is well known that sporting careers typically end when an individual is still young, and very often they do not have adequate skills and knowledge that would enable them to develop equally successful business careers, so their potential often remains underused, which is a missed opportunity for them as individuals and for the community as a whole,¨ pointed out the former president.

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ZAGREB, 4 March, 2021 - Member of Parliament Arsen Bauk of the Social Democratic Party protested on Thursday in the parliament against the "flagrant and rude" violation of epidemiological measures at the funeral of the late Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić, which was attended by an estimate of one thousand people.

Bauk entered parliament without a mask, which is not permitted and which was remarked on by Deputy Speaker Ante Sanader (HDZ).

SDP's MP explained why he took his mask off.

"I violated Article 293b of the Rules of Procedure because I took off my mask. I did so in protest at the flagrant and rude violation of measures at Mirogoj on Wednesday, sponsored by the national and local COVID-19 crisis management teams," Bauk said.

He asked Sanader to issue him with a warning so that "at least someone would be penalised" for yesterday's violation of epidemiological measures.

"I won't issue you with a warning for yesterday, but I will for what you did today, you violated the Rules of Procedures," Sanader responded.

March 4, 2021 – Thanks to the online poll conducted with visitors and social media followers, a new boat in the Krka National Park fleet got the name Torak, after a lake-shaped spring in the center of the Krka and Čikola's fairytale confluence.

Krka National Park recently launched online voting to name a new modern ship that will start sailing in their fleet this spring. Lozovac, Torak, Čikola, and Sveti Ivan Krstitelj were the name options, and visitors could vote for the best. Today, Krka National Park published the survey results, and the new modern boat is named – Torak.

Located in the center of the fairytale confluence of the Čikola and Krka rivers, the Torak spring, due to its round shape, looks more like a lake, so it is called a lake spring. Krka National Park's friends, visitors, and followers also liked the name Torak and decided to give it to a new modern boat for sailing from Skradinski Buk to Roški Slap waterfalls.

Torak lake spring / Krka National Park

The Torak lake spring diameter is 150 meters, the depth is 30 meters, and the spring itself is located at the bottom of the lake. This karst spring amazes with its beauty because of its unusual position and the characteristic flora of the lawns and bushes surrounding it.

The name of the new boat in the Krka National Park fleet was confirmed by the Inland Navigation Directorate of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure.

A boat ride from Skradinski Buk to Roški Slap has been a special attraction since the very beginning of Krka's excursions. That is why Krka National Park strengthened its fleet with a new ship for 98 passengers and two crew members. This modern vessel has one open and one closed deck, with comfortable seats and an air conditioning system. It is equipped with a ramp and places for people with disabilities.

New modern boat Torak / Krka National Park

"Visitors especially enjoy the boat ride, so we must provide them with a complete experience of sailing on the river in our safe and modern boats," said the Krka National Park director Nella Slavica.

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ZAGREB, 4 March, 2021 - At the November of 2020, Croatia's public debt totalled HRK 327.8 billion, rising by 35.3 billion, or 12.1%, from the end of 2019, and the country's public debt-to-GDP ratio increased by 15.3 percentage points to 88.6%, according to the Croatian National Bank (HNB) data.

Month on month, the public debt increased 0.6% at the end of November 2020.

A strong rise in the public debt in the first eleven months in 2020 is a result of the response to the crisis caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which reduced a large number of economic activities and consequently budget revenues while the state stepped in to cover a budget gap, according to assessments made by RBA bank's analysts.

The analysts also expect the reduction of the debt-to GDP ratio in 2021 below 85%, provided that economic recovery forecasts come true in the course of this year.

(€= HRK 7.5)

March 4, 2021 – Veljko Ostojic, director of the Croatian Tourism Association, was a guest on the Dobro Jutro, Hrvatska show, where he discussed COVID passports and vaccinations of tourist workers.

"First, we need to define what a COVID passport is. In my opinion, if it is a precondition for crossing the border, then it is discrimination. If it is a document that will allow those who have been vaccinated to cross the border faster and easier – I'm for it," Ostojic told HRT's Dobro Jutro, Hrvatska show.

Although it is not yet fully defined, the COVID passport should be given to those who have been vaccinated, those who have recovered, and those tested by PCR just before the trip, said Ostojic.

Asked whether entering Croatia will be similar to last year's, given that the vaccination will not be as expected, Ostojic said he hoped so. However, the priority goal for Croatia should be to "get green" as soon as possible. In that way, we could say that we are managing the epidemiological situation and that we are a safe country.

"Common European criteria for crossing the border should be defined, the epidemiological situation in our most important emitting markets should be monitored, from Germany, Austria onwards," says the Croatian Tourism Association director. He adds that it is still too early to talk about this topic because we still have a month, a month and a half.

Regarding the vaccination of tourist workers as a condition for the safe destination status, about which a promotional campaign was also launched, Veljko Ostojic says that tourist workers' vaccination will never be 100 percent. The Croatian Tourism Association conducted a survey with the Association of Hoteliers and the Croatian Camping Association. About 70 percent of employees expressed interest in vaccinations a month ago, Ostojic said.

There will likely be an organized vaccination of tourism workers after the first and second priority groups are vaccinated. We hope that it will be during April so that we can readily and vaccinated enter the primary tourist season, concluded Ostojić.

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