Split Open Jazz Fair 2020 Begins!
August. 28, 2020 - On Thursday, August 27, 2020, with the opening of the exhibition "Jazz Greats in the Ethnographic Museum", the Split Open Jazz Fair 2020 began. It is a photographic exhibition of portraits of jazz musicians by Davor Hrvoj from Zagreb, the doyen of Croatian jazz journalism ("It's time for jazz").
Hrvoj started working in journalism in the 1980s and published his works in numerous Croatian newspapers, such as Jutarnji list, Vijenac, and Gloria. He was a member of the international jury for the European Jazz Prize and is currently a member of several cultural councils and a leader of jazz events in Croatia. Besides, he is a permanent member of the Croatian Journalists' Association as a freelance journalist and the Croatian Music Union, the Croatian Society of Composers, and the Croatian Association of Independent Artists.
"Why portraits? Because in this way, with the help of a telephoto lens, it's possible to get closer to the gestures of artists and the spirit of jazz music and what musicians feel and the way they think. Unlike most other photographers, I like to wait for the end of a concert, when artists are already losing control of their behavior and their gestures. Then I catch them in those moments when they are truly natural when they are truly what they are", the author explains.
After the opening, there will be two concert evenings at Đardin as part of the Urban Culture Review - EVO RUKE 7 with, as always, free admission. The exhibition is open to visitors until 18.09.
"Since jazz is my life, as is theirs, this is how I try to capture the essence of jazz", Hrvoj concludes.
The program for two evenings of the concert program can be found below.
On Friday, 28.08.2020. perform:
21:00 - Peter Smith & The Hosters, Split,
22:00 - Elena Stella & A.J.Jazz Trio, Zadar/Biograd
On Saturday, 29.08.2020. perform:
21:00 - Doringo, Zagreb,
22:00 - Just Jazzy, Split
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We Can! MPs Say Bill on Post-Quake Reconstruction Leaves a Lot to Be Elaborated
ZAGREB, August 28, 2020 - Parliamentary deputies of the We Can! political platform have warned that the final bill on the post-earthquke reconstruction of Zagreb and its environs leaves a lot to be elaborated and that they will continue insisting on the establishment of an institute for reconstruction rather than a fund.
MP Tomislav Tomasevic said that his platform would submit a larger number of amendments to improve the bill.
He said the platform was satisfied with the social criteria and financial framework of the bill but was not happy with the institutional framework, which, he said, had stayed more or less the same in relation to the first version of the bill.
"The government still insists on a fund for the reconstruction of Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje and Zagreb counties instead of an institute for the reconstruction of Zagreb and its environs, which is what we have requested," said Tomasevic.
The We Can! platform wants the institute to be a coordinating body rather than "a kind of supporting administrative-financial body, which is what the fund will be under the bill."
Tomasevic also pointed to the importance of having a single institution in charge of the reconstruction process to prevent conflict of jurisdiction.
MP Sandra Bencic said that the government had not fully accepted their amendment seeking the establishment of an independent body in charge of overseeing how funds for reconstruction are spent.
She expressed concern about how citizens who have already started repair works on their properties will be financially assisted because the bill does not specify the amount of aid they are entitled to.
Bencic also called for regulating the issue of the market price of reconstruction work, saying that the price of some types of repair work was up to 400% higher than the ususual price.
The bill does not define precisely the issue of substitute housing, she noted.
MP Damir Bakic warned that the bill failed to mention that reconstruction work on public-purpose buildings would be entirely financed by their owners, i.e. founders.
It would be unfair and contrary to the intention of the law for reconstruction work on public-purpose buildings that are privately owned to be financed exclusively by their owners, he said.
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Analysts Expect Record GDP Fall in 2020
ZAGREB, August 28, 2020 - Due to the consequences of the coronacrisis, Croatia's GDP contracted by a record 15.1% in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the same period last year and analysts expect a record fall in GDP for the entire year but note that the fall could be milder in the next two quarters.
The State Bureau of Statistics (DZS) released its initial estimates on Friday according to which GDP in the second quarter fell by 15.1% on the year, falling for the first time since mid-2014.
This is also the greatest fall since 1995 when the DZS started collecting data on GDP. Until now, the highest ever drop in GDP was recorded in Q1 2009, at the start of the global financial crisis.
Six analysts polled by Hina expected GDP to drop on the year by an average 13.9%, with their estimates ranging from 12% to 17%.
In the second half of March already economic activity was partially or completely halted in a bid to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, and together with exceptionally high uncertainly, this strongly impacted the business and consumer confidence index while leading to high rates of decline in almost all activities, analysts at the Raiffeisenbank Austria (RBA) said in a comment on the latest DZS figures.
Prior to the figures being released RBA analysis expected GDP in 2020 to contract by 8.5%.
"The latest figures confirm that the fall in 2020 will be significantly greater. The greatest contribution to the fall for the entire year will be the fall in personal consumption due to increased unemployment, reduced employment and decrease in available income whereas investments will decrease significantly or will be deferred under the influence of great uncertainty," RBA analysts said.
Saravanja: The worst has passed
The sharp fall in GDP was expected. Drops were recorded in almost all of the most important segments and in double-digit figures at that, except for government expenditure...This year, due to the modest tourism season and lower investments, as a consequence of the fall in consumption, reserves have had a negative impact on GDP, Goran Saravanja of the Imelum consulting company said.
Saravanja expects GDP for the entire year to drop at a higher rate than in 2009, when the economy plunged by 7.4% at the start of the financial crisis.
The better-than-expected tourism season will buffer the fall in the next two quarters. "The worst has passed. We reached the bottom in the second quarter," he added.
The fact that tourist turnover will be significantly lower than for the same period last year will result in an economic decline in the third quarter too.
According to Eurostat data, GDP in the EU fell by 11.7% compared to Q1 and by 14.1% on the year. Croatia's figures are poorer than the European Union average.
As a consequence it is clear that Croatia's economy will dive into a recession, which is defined as a GDP fall for two consecutive quarters.
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Croatia's Q2 GDP Contracts by Record High 15%
ZAGREB, August 28, 2020 - Croatia's economy in the second quarter of 2020 contracted by a record high of 15.1% compared to the same period last year, this being its biggest fall since Croatia started collecting data on GDP, caused by the coronavirus crisis.
The State Bureau of Statistics (DZS) released its initial estimates on Friday according to which GDP in the second quarter fell by 15.1% on the year, falling for the first time since mid-2014.
This is also the greatest fall since 1995 when the DZS started collecting data on GDP. Until now, the highest ever drop in GDP was recorded in Q1 2009, at the start of the global financial crisis.
The fall in GDP in Q2 this year is greater than analysts had expected.
Six analysts polled by Hina expected GDP to drop on the year by an average 13.9%, with their estimates ranging from 12% to 17%.
The sharp decline in the economy in the second quarter is the consequence of the coronavirus pandemic and restrictive measures introduced to curb the pandemic, which paralysed commercial activities from mid-March until the end of April.
Sharp fall in consumption, investments, exports...
Due to the pandemic a sharp fall was recorded in personal consumption.
Household consumption plunged by 14% in Q2 2020 compared to Q2 2019.
Gross investments in fixed capital contracted by 14.7% year on year.
The export of commodities and services sunk by 40.6%.
The exports of commodities was 10.9% while the export of services plummeted by 67.4%. The import of commodities and services contracted too, by 28.1%, with commodity imports contracting by 25.3% and imports of services by 42.5%.
State spending however increased in Q2 by 0.7% on the year.
Figures poorer than EU average
According to seasonally adjusted data, GDP in Q2 fell by 14.9% compared to Q1 and by 15.1% on the year.
These figures are poorer than the European Union average. According to Eurostat data, GDP in the EU fell by 11.7% compared to Q1 and by 14.1% on the year.
DZS said that due to the circumstances related to the coronavirus crisis, some data may not be precise.
"Difficulties in gauging economic growth, particularly in service activities, might result in a potentially greater revision of GDP figures for the quarter," DZS said.
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Croatia Reports 357 New Coronavirus Cases
ZAGREB, August 28, 2020 - Over the past 24 hours 357 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in Croatia, bringing the number of active cases to 2,560, the national COVID-19 response team said on Friday.
Currently 212 patients are hospitalised, including 11 on ventilators, and three more persons have died.
Since February 25, when the first case was recorded in Croatia, 9,550 persons have been infected with the new virus, 180 of whom have died, while 6,809 have recovered.
Currently 8,780 persons are self-isolating.
To date, 161,701 persons have been tested, including 2,065 over the past 24 hours.
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The Workers Front Party Calls for Support to Sisak Oil Refinery Workers
ZAGREB, August 28, 2020 - The Workers Front (RF) party on Friday called for support to workers of the Sisak Oil Refinery, which is part of the INA oil company, stressing that they were being intimidated.
The party said that the workers had turned to RF MP Katarina Peovic, warning that they were being intimidated by the company management after the RF earlier published a list with the names of the workers to be laid off, which it had received from the workers.
The party said that the workers had gone public with an authentic document with the names of redundant workers, which the management considers disclosure of a trade secret.
It said that "the owners of INA are the ones who have violated agreements and and laws and who disrespect previous agreements with the Croatian government, under which the Sisak refinery should not be closed down, but which, judging by all accounts, will happen sooner or later."
It was the workers' duty to expose that fraud, the RF said, accusing the government of allowing the layoffs and threats to Sisak refinery workers.
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Association Warns of 80% Drop in Tour Operators' Revenue
ZAGREB, August 28, 2020 - The good results of this year's summer tourist season have not contributed to tour operators' business and their revenue has dropped by more than 80%, which is why they expect the state to continue with its job-keeping scheme, the UHPA tour operators association said on Friday.
"The drop in revenue in the past two months exceeds 80%... The current epidemiological situation is also working against us and we estimate that most tour operators cannot realise a turnover that will enable them to keep jobs and maintain liquidity," UHPA president Tomislav Fain said.
In a comment on good tourism figures, which stand at 50% of last year's results, Fain said that it should not be forgotten that tourism is not only about arrivals and overnight stays and that it is a complex sector involving various stakeholders many of whom, including tour operators, do not depend exclusively on the tourist season.
Fain said that UHPA supports the continuation of the government's job-keeping aid as well as dealing with many outstanding issues tour operators are faced with, and that the existing safety protocols should be implemented as soon as possible and Croatia should be promoted as a destination where all epidemiological measures are complied with.
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Teachers' Union Seeks Answers from Minister About New School Year
ZAGREB, August 28, 2020 - The Croatian Teachers' Union on Friday sent an open letter to Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs with the ten most frequent questions about the new school year coming from teachers in the field, with possible suggestions to resolve those issues.
The unions is seeking additional employment of assistant-technical personnel, who were in short supply even before the outbreak of the pandemic, saying that more than 48% of cleaners cleaned a much larger area than prescribed before the pandemic and that now they will be required to work even more to ensure compliance with epidemiological measures.
The teachers said that the issue of high-risk employees has also not been resolved nor is it clear if pupils who become infected will be excused and whether they will be required to attend online classes. They also want to know who will organise these classes.
The union has received a lot of enquiries from worried parents and employees regarding transport and it notes that it makes no sense for pupils from different grades to ride on the same bus, only to be later strictly separated according to classes when they arrive in school.
Delay in employment of additional IT teachers
Noting that a decision on ICT lessons in schools enters into force in the 2020/2021 school-year, the union warned that additional IT staff still had not been hired.
There are also delays in organising after-school day care in schools and the status of teachers in these classes has still not been resolved, it said.
Every teacher should be ensured with free Internet access or compensation for the related costs incurred and they should be equipped with a laptop, camera and applications in order to organise remote teaching, the union warns.
The union further notes that instructions are not clear for special schools either.
Teachers are want to know if and how often testing for the coronavirus will be organised for school staff, if they will be supplied with protective equipment, how classes will be covered should a teacher be compelled to go into self-isolation and so on, the union says in its letter to Minister Fuchs.
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Average Net Pay in the First Half of 2020 HRK 6,725
ZAGREB, August 28, 2020 - The average monthly net wage in legal entities in Croatia in the first half of 2020 amounted to HRK 6,725, which is a real increase of 1.7% and a nominal increase of 2.2% compared to the same period of last year, show statistics of the national statistical office.
The average net pay in the first half of this year was 2.4% higher in nominal terms and 2.2% up in real terms compared to the second half of last year, when the average net pay in legal entities amounted to HRK 6,583.
Wage trends this year have been affected, among other things, by the coronavirus pandemic, notably restrictions that were in force at the end of the first and the beginning of the second quarter.
(€1 = HRK 7.467610)
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Poland Bans Flights from 46 Countries, Including Croatia
ZAGREB, August 28, 2020 - Poland will ban flights from 46 countries, including Croatia, as of Sept 2, according to a draft regulation published on Thursday, as the country grapples with a spike in coronavirus infections, Reuters has reported.
The move follows targeted measures to reintroduce restrictions on public life in the worst affected parts of the country, as the government tries to tackle the spread of the virus without resorting to a complete lockdown, the news agency said.
"Due to the threat of spreading SARS CoV-2 virus infections, it is necessary to exercise the right to introduce air traffic bans... in order to minimize the threat to public health," the regulation said.
Poland closed its borders and suspended flights in March to stop the spread of the coronavirus. However, it progressively loosened restrictions on public life, with shopping centres, hotels and restaurants all reopening in May.
Polish national airline PLL LOT resumed international flights on July 1 almost four months after suspending them.
Other countries affected by the ban are France, Spain, Montenegro, Romania, the United States, Israel, Mexico and Brazil.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Poland has had 64,689 cases of the infection and 2,010 fatalities.
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