Cryptocurrencies in Croatia: Where People Mostly Use Them to Pay
January the 31st, 2022 - Cryptocurrencies in Croatia are gaining in popularity, with many locations now offering the ability for people to use them for payments, including the giant Konzum. Here's where people mostly make payments in cryptocurrencies in Croatia at the moment.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, investing in cryptocurrencies in Croatia still boasts a trend which is significantly stronger than the mere use of cryptocurrencies for payments boasts, which is something that is still very much in its infancy in this country.
"Paying with cryptocurrencies in Croatia is something that is just beginning. Personally, I use this method of payment on a daily basis, from buying food and drink, to fuel, concert tickets to appliances and even cars,'' said Nikola Skoric, the head of Electrocoin, a company that mediates in cryptocurrency trading and processes crypto payments in Croatia.
He then presented the case of the largest cooperation in the Croatian cryptocurrency market, the one between Electrocoin and Konzum, which enabled Konzum customers (when shopping on their website) to pay for their goods in cryptocurrencies through Electrocoin's PayCek, Croatia's first cryptocurrency payment processor. While that's all well and good, what exactly is the level of interest of the ''average Joe'' in this payment possibility?
Uros Kalinic, a member of Konzum's Management Board for Finance and IT, agrees that this method of payment is still in its infancy, but he also revealed that Konzum records payments in cryptocurrencies in its online store almost every single day.
“Individuals and legal entities, owners of cryptocurrencies in Croatia, can buy and pay for their groceries, hygiene and household supplies and other products from Konzum's online store which has more than 12,000 items for sale. We expect an increase in people's general level of interest, as was the case with card payments and other innovations, such as the use of self-service check outs, cashless check outs and the use of Google and Apple Pay applications (apps).
Payment in cryptocurrencies in Croatia is currently possible on Konzum's online store, and we'll soon introduce this option in other stores throughout Croatia. At Konzum, we're constantly trying to offer our customers new opportunities and technologies,'' said Kalinic.
They realised the project in just a few months, and the experience of buying items on their online store, as well as paying with cryptocurrencies, is simple and similar to card payments. “When completing the product selection, the customer can choose the cryptocurrency payment option and the system will offer him a list of those available. After selecting the desired cryptocurrency to pay with, the amount in its equivalent is displayed and a QR code and payment address are generated, after which the customer simply scans the QR code. With the confirmation of the transaction, they will make the payment and confirm the transaction from the PayCek system of our partner Electrocoin by e-mail, while Konzum will send the customer an invoice for the paid service or product,'' explained Kalinic.
All receipts issued by Konzum are fiscalised in accordance with the normal regulations, including those paid in cryptocurrencies. Kalinic noted that Konzum has no direct contact with cryptocurrencies at any time, and that when it comes to volatility that is specific to cryptocurrencies, customers have no risk because Electrocoin is the one which has taken the risk.
Customers have a fixed exchange rate of 15 minutes, which is the warranty period for making a payment on Konzum's online store. "The whole process of buying and paying with cryptocurrencies, in addition to being secure, is very simple for the buyer, which was one of the preconditions for embarking on such a revolutionary venture," said Uros Kalinic.
Before Konzum, Tifon embarked on this venture, introducing the possibility of paying with cryptocurrencies in Croatia at its fuel stations as of February the 2nd last year. From Tifon, they stated that since then, the number of transactions on a monthly basis has been constantly increasing. Significant growth was noticed during the summer months with the arrival of foreign tourists, but this, they say, was expected because cryptocurrencies are a more popular means of payment abroad.
"However, we must point out that through the reports we can see that cryptocurrencies are increasingly being used by customers who live in Croatia, which is a good result considering that the number of customers who use cryptocurrencies is still relatively low here on the Croatian market. In addition to that, it is a very interesting fact that cryptocurrencies were mostly used at locations on the motorway heading down to the Croatian coast, but in both directions, then in Zagreb and even at all points of sale in Slavonia, which pleasantly surprised us,'' they added from Tifon.
The process of introducing cryptocurrency payment options was simple and took only two months. Firstly, they defined the entire process within the company, which includes cash payments, fiscalisation and invoicing, data transfer to their reporting system, tracking the payments from the PayCek platform and final postings in ERP. The second step involved the development, ie the integration of PayCek into the internal retail system using the API interface developed by Electrocoin. The third step involved detailed testing in which the detected deficiencies were readily corrected. For the fourth step, they created profiles on the PayCek platform and connected them to the cash registers. The final, fifth step was to put the service into production.
"Transactions are fiscalised in the same way as all other transactions are, with the remark that when sending data to the fiscal system of the Tax Administration, only the type of payment should be referred to as ''Other/Ostalo''.
Tifon doesn't accept cryptocurrencies itself, the PayCek platform does it for us, which converts the cryptocurrency into Croatian kuna when the customer pays the bill, and Tifon immediately receives kuna for its products/services. Following the above, it's logical that such transactions are marked as ''Other'' under the type of payment, which is also mentioned on the receipt that we issue to the customer following payment," they explained from Tifon.
The City of Sveta Nedelja threw itself into the use of cryptocurrencies in Croatia and quickly embarked on this endeavor. They were among the first in the world to introduce the possibility of paying utility fees in cryptocurrencies, obviously realising that this was a trend that would become very popular with time.
“The reason for that is the focus on modern technologies, as well as monitoring market demands. We're primarily refering a large number of successful companies operating in the area of our city, such as Rimac Automobili, Greyp Bikes, Medical Intertrade, Sancta Domenica and many others. In addition to that, the goal is to create opportunities for further development of the IT industry across Croatia and also to attract companies to keep up with the times in which the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology is undoubtedly one of the drivers of development. At this moment in time, Sveta Nedelja is carrying out several payments using this method, which is understandable considering that cryptocurrencies are viewed through the prism of investment opportunities.
The transaction starts on the website of the City of Sveta Nedelja where all personal data is filled in, then the payment section is selected, and then the user connects to the PayCek payment system where the user has the option to choose one of several cryptocurrencies (such as BTC, ETH, XLM, BCH , XRP, DAI, EOS, USDT, USDC, BUSD, SOL).
After choosing a cryptocurrency, we connect to our own so-called wallet (for example Exodus), select the cryptocurrency sending option and enter the wallet address received in the PayCek payment system. The City of Sveta Nedelja then receives the payment in kuna, considering that the conversion was made through the above-mentioned system,'' they explained from Sveta Nedelja's administration.
Although paying in cryptocurrencies in Croatia is still in its infancy, perhaps, as Skoric said, this is just the beginning of something new.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.
Croatian Startups Create Glasses for Deaf to "See" Words They Can't Hear
January the 31st, 2022 - Croatian startups have come up with an incredible idea - the development of special smart glasses which allow the deaf and hard of hearing to ''see'' the words they're unable to hear.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, among the global companies that presented their technology solutions in Las Vegas at the world's largest consumer electronics fair - Consumer Electronics Show (CES), there were several Croatian representatives among more than 2,000 companies from across 160 countries.
In addition to Iron Bull, Orqa, Sportreact, Codelab and Zuluhood, two Croatian startups created in Novska at the Pismo Business Incubator - Grow and Hiroma Design - presented their innovations and products, as well as their further business plans.
"We want to achieve our goal - to help deaf people see all of the words they can't hear," said Josipa and Kristijan Bencek, who officially launched the Grow startup two years ago after completing their gaming training at the Pismo Business Incubator. They developed a prototype of VOICEE smart AR glasses for the deaf and hard of hearing, which they presented at EES Hearing at the recently held CES in the US.
"These are glasses that generate sound into text and print it in real time onto the lenses of the glasses in the form of subtitles or subtitles. When you look through these glasses, you feel like you’re watching a foreign movie. We've been researching and developing VOICEE for the last two years. We worked on the development in collaboration with deaf people, associations, as well as with hardware development experts. It's a very extensive and complex project. We currently have a functional prototype, but we're still working on improving it every day. We'll soon launch a Kickstarter campaign so that our second prototype can be released on the market,'' revealed Josipa Bencek.
Presenting the product among the largest technology manufacturers in Las Vegas was a significant experience for the Croatian startup Grow, which, as Josipa said, motivated them to present their product to the best of their ability, as well as to network and find potential partners for their further work.
"Regardless of the technology presented at CES, there was really great interest in our smart glasses. Continuous visitors around our exhibition space soaked up our every word. We were a little surprised ourselves, but it gave us a spring in our step and an incentive to do more work. We stayed in touch with some of those people and we believe that some of them were also our potential investors,'' said Josipa.
A wave of positive change
Grow is based on gaming, but also products that are related to gaming, and aren't exclusively games. Josip and Kristijan swam into the often challenging entrepreneurial waters with the desire to start a wave of positive changes in their environment and to prove that even in challenging times - they can still achieve what they want.
The support of Novska's Pismo incubator was important for them, where they had access to mentors, various workshops for improving entrepreneurship and better networking. Through the Crown project organised by the Sisak-Moslavina County Development Agency with partners from cross-border cooperation, Grow won the award for one of the best entrepreneurial ideas.
"When we talk about games, we're based mostly on augmented reality, or AR. Given today's ubiquity of technology, we use games for educational purposes, as entertainment, but also for the promotion of certain products and companies. The success of the games in these fields has been proven many times not only by us, but also by trends from outside Croatia. In addition to games, we also offer gaming education. We educate children and adults on how to produce video games and introduce them to the gaming industry. We've developed education in two fields. The first is programming, where students learn the basics of programming and the use of programming tools that are adapted to their age group. The other field is graphics. Participants in this training learn how to create graphics, animations or models that are used in the production of games, so they can implement their own ideas into the game and thus completely personalise it,'' explained Bencek.
Of the projects related to gaming, their educational game for Lonjsko polje with an emphasis on indigenous animals stood out the most. There are two of them in the team, Josipa and Kristijan, but they're also cooperating with associations and experts from various fields, and with the increase in the volume of work, they expect employment to begin shortly.
Their clients come from various fields of business, and so far they have worked for A1 Telekom/Telecom, Hrvatska posta/Croatian post, Coding Giants, the Simora agency, and Lonjsko polje itself. They are also cooperating with some foreign companies and Croatian franchises, and they believe that there will be more because they are still young in the market.
"This year has just begun, but we've started it in full swing. With education, games and VOICEE, we expect this year to be even more successful in business than last year. Our next big goal is the success of the Kickstarter campaign, and our further steps are focused on the successful completion of the projects we're working on and even more successful agreements on new projects. We also hope that we will be recognsed by foreign investors and with our personal development we'll start the development of new people in our community,'' concluded Josipa Bencek.
When it comes to other Croatian startups, Stefan and Mateja Vedrina founded the Hiroma Design startup three years ago, in which they create video games, 3D projections and augmented and virtual reality applications. They especially stood out with their educational application for children, Moopies, on the topic of waste sorting and environmentally positive behaviour, which they presented at CES.
"It's true that children today spend a lot of time in front of screens, but in our application we have a solution to this problem. The focus of the Moopies project is an educational application for children in which children learn without even being aware of it. The innovation of our product is that we put the child in the position of a teacher, not a student as is the practice in our competition. Moopies are cute little monsters that fall to planet Earth, and a child embarks on a learning adventure with one of them. The child, along with a Moopy, then learns about the knowledge of our planet like maths, foreign languages and colours. As the Moopy learns, it evolves. When downloading the app, the parent determines how long their child will play the game.
After this period, Moopy, with whom the child is currently playing, goes to sleep and they can continue the game only the next day. In addition, the application will be accompanied by content that is thematically related to the application, ie merchandise; soft toys, a catalog with pictures, tablet pens, and T-shirts,'' Vedrina explained.
Hardworking and ambitious Croatian startups
They added that the reactions of visitors at CES gave them additional motivation and self-confidence, and they were approached by numerous distributors, potential associates and investors.
“We're already working with some distributors to distribute our merchandise. We received some great feedback and interest from all age groups and occupations. The visitors were also delighted because the application uses augmented reality so that 3D models of the Moopies can be seen through the screen of the device above the thumbnails in the album,'' pointed out Stefan Vedrina.
He and his wife Mateja decided to venture into the world of Croatian startups after completing a six-month training session in video game production - Unity and Blender - in order to move more easily in the foreign and domestic markets of the gaming industry. Prior to that, Stefan completed his studies at the Technical Polytechnic in Zagreb, while Mateja received her Master's degree in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts, and switched from traditional sculptures to digital ones. Today, Stefan is the main programmer at Hiroma Design, and Mateja is the main 3D/2D artist.
Although the two of them are the only employees, they're working with eight other experts on their current Moopies project, and as the project is extensive, they plan to hire more people to complete the necessary staffing for further development. So far, their focus has been mainly on the domestic market, but they are increasingly expanding beyond the borders of Croatia, where, as they pointed out, they are becoming more and more recognisable.
Their clients are mostly cities, institutions and associations, but they also have a few private clients in the form of companies. At the end of last year, they agreed on work related to the production of video games and augmented reality applications that will be used in some cities in Croatia.
For more on Croatian startups, check out Made in Croatia.
Croatian Bread Vending Machine Brand Declared One of World’s Best Design Projects
The renowned design portal LogoLounge recognised the work of Anja Zambelli Čolak as one of the best among 40,000 submissions
Croatian designer Anja Zambelli Čolak, founder and Creative Director of Zambelli Brand Design studio based in Rijeka, is winning international acclaim for her work on the Panissimo brand project. LogoLounge, the leading portal specialising in logos and visual identities, included Panissimo’s branding among the world’s best in their 13th LogoLounge book, reports Novi list.
Her work on Panissimo was declared one of the best among 40,000 submissions, and it’s the third time that Zambelli’s designs were short-listed by LogoLounge, a reputable American organisation founded 20 years ago.
Zambelli designed the logo, vending machines, and a variety of packaging for the new system of distribution of bread and bakery products called Panissimo.
The Panissimo project was devised by the company Reginex based in Pazin, Istria. Reginex is a family-run business specialising in production of bread and pastry; they launched their innovative vending machines called ‘bread stations’ in 2021.
Image source: zambellidesign.com
The vending machines installed in Istria are currently stocked with six types of bread, along with some other popular baked goods made by Reginex. Considering that vending machines operate 24 hours a day and are thus a convenient way to purchase bakery products, Panissimo plans to expand all over Istra and beyond, aiming to eventually become a household name.
‘Not only have we designed the visual identity, building upon certain design elements that Reginex previously used as a brand, but the name Panissimo itself is also a creation of Zambelli Brand Design. The root of the name comes from the Italian word for bread, while the suffix ‘-issimo’ indicates the best quality, but also points to a certain familiarity between the customer and the product’, explained Zambelli.
Anja Zambelli was formally trained in Milan and is a renowned designer whose studio has worked with domestic and international clients.
Komšić Praises 'Firm Stand' on HDZ BiH, Dodik Blames Bosniaks for Failed Talks
ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2022 - Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency chairman Željko Komšić on Sunday commended Bosniak political parties for their "firm stand" on Croat parties' demands regarding election law changes, while Presidency member Milorad Dodik blamed the Bosniak parties for the failure of the Neum negotiations.
They were commenting on the lack of an agreement on electoral reform after three days of negotiations in Neum which concluded today.
No deal was reached because Bosniak and Croat parties were unable to agree on a model of electing members of the BiH Presidency from the Federation entity, and members of the Federation parliament's House of Peoples. They were also divided on the house's future powers.
Komšić did not attend the negotiations with the explanation that prior to electoral reform, Bosnian Serb officials should end their blockade of BiH authorities.
However, he commended the agreement among the Bosniak ruling and opposition parties on demands by the HDZ BiH and other Croat parties.
Komšić said it made sense to first agree on reducing the powers of the Federation House of Peoples, before proceeding to agree on a model of electing BiH Presidency members. He added that this stand was earlier supported by the Bosniak SDA and opposition parties.
SDA president Bakir Izetbegović "has remained consistent and principled," Komšić said, adding that he expects an even more radical approach from the HDZ BiH now.
The Presidency's Serb member Dodik said the failure of the Neum negotiations was proof that Bosniaks were attempting to impose their will on Croats. He added that Bosniaks would again try to impose Komšić as the Croat member of the Presidency if general elections in October were held under current rules.
"They are continuing to openly implement this policy of outvoting, of politically minimising the Croats' political representatives," he said, adding that this will adversely affect BiH because the problem of one constituent people is also the problem for all three constituent peoples.
For more, check out our politics section.
WRC Croatia Rally Organisers Expecting as Many as 350,000 Spectators
ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2022 - WRC Croatia Rally, one of the most watched sporting events in the world, returns to Croatia in April for the first time with spectators, who will be able to watch the world's best rally drivers in a total of 20 speed tests through five Croatian counties.
Thanks to the excellent organisation of the sporting and accompanying part of last year's debut race, Croatia has been cited many times as a breath of fresh air and a real surprise on the WRC calendar. The organisers were given the opportunity to extend the contract for the event for at least two more years.
WRC Croatia Rally, which will bring together the world's best rally drivers, will be held on 21-24 April with speed tests through five Croatian counties -- Zagreb, Karlovac, Krapina- Zagorje, Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Varaždin -- while the ceremonial start and finish will be in Zagreb.
This year, it is expected that there will be a record number of spectators at a sporting event in our country. The organisers estimate that there may be over 350,000 spectators in special fan zones and along the track, expected to arrive from Europe and from all over the world.
"It is a huge success for our country to have Croatia included in the world calendar, to bring the world championship here and organise the race at such a high level", said Davorin Štetner, president of the Croatian Automobile and Karting Federation.
This year the WRC is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the 2022 season was launched last weekend in Monte Carlo.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Employment and Housing Biggest Problem for Youths in Split
ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2022 - The results of a survey of 1,370 respondents on the needs of youths in Split were presented in that city earlier this week, confirming that the biggest problems are employment and housing.
The survey was conducted on youths aged 15 - 30 who reside, study, or work in Split, in order to develop a city youth programme for the period 2022-2025.
Of the 1,370 respondents, 62.20% were female.
The issues of employment and housing are causes of great dissatisfaction amongst young people, who are also dissatisfied with the availability of information.
Maša Cek of the Association Delta said that in the survey, youths also expressed the need for more jobs for those in the education system, help in obtaining their first work experience, and more direct contact with employers.
As a place to live, Split received a rating of 3 out of 5, with 5. When it ccame to housing-related support, youths think the most useful tool to help them is to become property owners.
Respondents who live in Split are mostly satisfied with the infrastructure and the availability of the necessary facilities, green spaces and the availability of cultural events were rated as being below average.
The survey has shown that young people in Split mostly get around on foot and by car, while the public transport and the bicycle-sharing system is used less, said Cek.
Also, it has shown that young people are satisfied with the availability of sports and recreational activities, while they are the least satisfied with the offer of cultural activities. They stressed the need for a larger and more diverse range of options for spending one's free time with lower prices, especially for sports and non-formal education.
The president of the association Info Zona, Goran Biličić, said that youths do not see Split as a city that encourages them to participate in society and do not feel that their volunteer work is appreciated by the general public.
For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.
Committee on Constitution Distributes HRK 54.9m Among Parties and Independent MPs
ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2022 - The Croatian Parliament's Committee on the Constitution and Rules of Procedure have decided on the distribution of HRK 54.9 million (€7.32m) for the work of political parties and independent members of Parliament, as provided for in this year's budget.
The money will be divided according to election results, and the parties will receive HRK 352,351 per male MP and 387,587 per female MP due to their underrepresentation.
The largest amount of HRK 22.4 million will be distributed to the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), which has 45 male and 16 female lawmakers in the present 151-seat parliament.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has 19 male and 15 female MPs and will receive HRK 12.5 million, while the Homeland Movement (DP) will get HRK 3.9 million for eight male and three female MPs. This is despite the fact that 18 lawmakers who were expelled from the SDP have since formed the Social Democrats group, while the DP has been left without their founder, Miroslav Škoro.
Bridge, with seven male MPs and one female, will receive HRK 2.8 million. HRK 1.8 million will go to the We Can! platform (3 male and 2 female MPs), HRK 1.1 million to the Independent Democratic Serb Party (1 male and 2 female MPs), and HRK 1.09 million to the Istrian Democratic Party (2 male and 1 female MPs).
The Croatian Social Liberal Party, Croatian Peasant Party and Croatian Conservative Party have two MPs each and will receive HRK 704,000 per party.
The New Left, the Workers Front, the Civic and Liberal Alliance (GLAS), the Party with a First and Last Name, Centre, and the Reformists each have one female MP and will each receive HRK 387,587. The same amount will also go to independent Ermina Lekaj Prljaskaj.
The HRK 54.9 million will be paid out quarterly in equal amounts into the bank accounts of the political parties and independent MPs.
(€1 = HRK 7.5)
For more on politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated politics section.
Speed, Prices and Quality Customer Service Most Important to Internet Users
ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2002 - Access speed, prices, quality customer service and fast fault removal are most important to internet users in Croatia, while mobile network voice services and internet access are the communication services they use most, according to a survey by the HAKOM regulator.
The survey was conducted for HAKOM, the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries, in December by the Ipsos market research agency on 1,001 respondents aged 18 to 65.
98% of respondents use voice services in the mobile network, while the second most used service is internet access (82%).
In the fixed network, voice services are used by 65% of respondents, 76% use internet as part of a package of services, while 98% think their package provides all the services they need.
92% of respondents use a home Wi-Fi network to connect to the Internet, while 54% use a mobile network, with 97% doing so via smartphone, 87% via laptop and 45% via desktop.
About 50% of respondents said they would switch to an optical connection in the event of higher ADSL/VDSL prices, while almost one in three don't know their contracted speed.
For a majority of respondents with speeds below 100 Mbit/s, internet speed does not represent a restriction in internet use. 37% would like to have higher speeds but are not willing to pay for it, while 22% feel their speeds are higher than they need.
Respondents said they were not in the habit of checking their access speed, with most doing it only when they notice the speed has changed.
The survey shows that technical problems are almost as frequent as they were in 2020. The most frequent difficulties being no internet access, poor speed and Wi-Fi problems.
Respondents said they were mostly satisfied with current services and customer service, with 68% having changed operators a number of times due to lower prices.
Almost all internet users actively maintain online security by not downloading apps from unknown sources, protecting personal data and avoiding contact with unknown persons. However, 15% of respondents said they experienced cyber bullying.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.
Frka Petešić Says Milanović Using Him to Discredit Plenković, Cabinet
ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2022 - The prime minister's chief of staff, Zvonimir Frka Petešić, said on Saturday that President Zoran Milanović was using a low level of incitement and a tabloid rhetoric against him and using him to discredit PM Andrej Plenković and his cabinet.
"President Milanović promised normality in his campaign, but no one expected this low level of incitement, this tabloid rhetoric," he told Jutarnji List daily, adding that the president's attempt to use him to discredit the prime minister and his cabinet is a "pathetic and futile attack. It won't work. We are not the same nor can we be."
"Milanović is making rude insults, fabrications and false accusations with the intention to hide his own scandals, doing particular damage to Croatia on the international level," Frka Petešić said, adding that Milanović is acting like that "probably because he thinks it improves his approval rating."
This raises the issue of the president's accountability and morality, he said, adding that Milanović has deeply hurt him and is repeatedly calling him a criminal by using the fact that during his term in office, he cannot be held to account and is hiding behind the security of his position.
"I repeat, I am not a permanent resident of Zagreb nor did I falsely register my permanent residence. I acted as instructed by the competent services at the Interior Ministry," Frka Petešić said in the interview ih which he explained why he had applied for an official flat in Zagreb.
Asked if he was considering resigning as a liability to the government and the prime minister, he said that if anyone found a property in his or his wife's name in Croatia or anywhere else, they should report it and he would immediately resign.
Asked why he had asked for an official flat in Zagreb if he has one in Zagreb's Dubrava District, Frka Petešić said he and his family have been living in Zagreb since 2011 as tenants.
"I'm not the owner of any property nor will I be the owner of the flat I was given to use and for which I pay HRK 5 per square metre, at the same price and rules as other officials, in line with a decision from 2001. Also, as a tenant, I have been paying Zagreb's local tax of 18%, the highest in the state, as all Zagreb residents."
He added that he has not "evaded paying even one lipa, as some who have been writing about me these days have done", and that he has not defrauded the state budget. "Everything else is a fabrication and a political campaign against me, in which the president has now joined, too."
Asked why he registered his permanent residence in Sali on Dugi Otok island just a day before taking office, Frka Petešić said that was incorrect and that he did so "a month after taking office, while I was applying for an official flat. Among the documents required was the certificate of permanent residence, although a place of permanent residence is not a requirement for being allocated a flat."
He said it had been a mistake not to register permanent residence for the whole family in Sali. "We were busy moving and packing, and my wife planned to regulate that after the move, but she forgot. Now that's been corrected and she registered her permanent residence in Sali, as did my older daughter, while their temporary residence is registered in Jurišićeva Street in Zagreb.
He added that a day after moving into the official flat in Jurišićeva in mid-October, he registered his temporary residence there.
Asked why his family is still registered as living at a friends' flat in Zagreb, Frka Petešić said it was an administrative error that was corrected after he reported it to the police.
"My family has been living with me the whole time," he said, except the younger daughter who is studying in France. "As I explained, we all have permanent residence in Sali and temporary residence in Zagreb, in Jurišićeva, in the official flat where we live while I hold this temporary office. According to the relevant services at the Interior Ministry, that was the only logical option in our atypical situation."
Frka Petešić said he was told at the ministry that he would have committed a misdemeanor only if he had registered permanent residence in Sali and been living in Zagreb without having registered temporary residence in Zagreb. He added that all his ancestors were from Dugi Otok and that is his only connection to the island.
For more, check out our politics section.
Milanović: Every Citizen Knows Frka Petešić Committed Thievery
ZAGREB, 30 Jan 2022 - President Zoran Milanović on Saturday responded to criticisms from HDZ member of the European Parliament Tomislav Sokol, saying that the prime minister's chief of staff, Zvonimir Frka Petešić, had committed "thievery" and that "every citizen knows that it's dishonesty, greed, plunder."
Sokol said earlier on Saturday that what was happening to Frka Petešić because of the state-owned flat in which he lives in Zagreb was a disgrace.
"We won't run away from the topic so easily by denying reality and switching arguments. That is a criminal offence," Milanović told the press in Sisak. "This is one elaborate impertinent fraud, committed with full awareness of its unlawfulness," he said.
Sokol also said that if anyone thought a crime had been committed, they should report Frka Petešić to the authorities.
Milanović said Frka Petešić should be reported "because there's not a chance that DORH (State Attorney's Office) will do it ex officio."
"Just as it's impossible for DORH to understand that what was happening in the State Assets Ministry was a crime. A whistleblower had to file a criminal report of 37 pages in order to be heard," he added.
The president said he would not report Frka Petešić, but reiterated that he committed a criminal offence and that attempts were being made to portray it "as an oversight."
"It's an elaborate process. Why doesn't he keep his books on Dugi Otok (island) if he lives there?" he said regarding Frka Petešić's claim that he keeps his books in a basement of a warehouse of the Državne Nekretnine state assets management company in Zagreb.
The president recalled that the Državne Nekretnine whistleblower had called out Defence Minister Mario Banožić for protecting one company.
"That company filed for bankruptcy. The state, because someone intervened, did not collect rent and came out the loser. Such favours don't come without a fee because that's a serious favour. If you allowed someone not to pay two or three million in rent, they will probably thank you. The company filed for bankruptcy, the state will get nothing. Who will be held to account?"
The president said that if anyone was embarrassing Croatia, "it's the HDZ."
"Where am I embarrassing it? In Moscow? In Kyiv? In Berlin? But yes, I surely get on some people's nerves. Yesterday I was America's man, today I'm Russia's man, but somehow I believe I'm Croatia's man."
Asked to comment on Zagreb Jewish Community head Ognjen Kraus's statement that he has still not met with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković about banning Ustasha insignia, although a meeting was promised. Milanović said Plenković was stalling Kraus again.
"He'll trick him again. The law won't be changed. Unfortunately, Kraus won't get anything," he added.
For more, check out our politics section.
