Business

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 31st of March, 2020, with the aim of contributing to the economic stability of the Croatian economy, preserving jobs and ensuring the financial liquidity of businesses operating here, AmCham (the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia) has announced a proposal for additional measures to assist the economy in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. "We believe that in this situation, it's necessary to focus the measures on maintaining the liquidity of businesses, maintaining employment and jobs, securing supply chains for businesses, stimulating consumption after the crisis and on tax relief," said Andrea Doko Jelusic,…

March 31, 2020 — The coronavirus’s first non-medical victims are 8,000 workers facing unemployment, as well as 300,000 others facing steep paycuts down to minimum wage, according to Vecernji List. The stark The Tax Administration yesterday said it received 39,047 requests from companies and craftsmen to delay their payment of taxes; one-third of the requests came from the hotel and catering industry. In addition to companies and entrepreneurs who are banned from working, others with a drop in income of more than 20 percent, including the self-employed can count on government assistance in paying wages. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s government…

ZAGREB, March 31, 2020 - Total industrial turnover in Croatia in January 2020 was 5.6% up from January 2019, while according to seasonally adjusted data, it was 2.4% down year-on-year. In January, total seasonally and working-day adjusted industrial turnover on the domestic market was 8.9% higher while on the foreign market it was 1.5% higher than in December 2019, according to data from the national statistical office. Year-on-year, total seasonally adjusted industrial turnover on the domestic market dropped by 0.1% and on the foreign market by 5.9%. The sale of durable consumer goods dropped by 16%, the sale of non-durable…

ZAGREB, March 30, 2020 - A new package of measures to boost the economy is expected by the end of this week and it will be comprehensive and robust and directed towards protecting entrepreneurs, workers and the private sector, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Monday after meeting with Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić. Plenković advised that the second package of measures for the economy is being prepared and that it should be ready for this week's cabinet meeting. The April package of measures will be comprehensive and robust, he said, and "will continue to be directed towards entrepreneurs, workers, protecting…

ZAGREB, March 30, 2020 - In 2019 a total of 515,400 tourists stayed in non-commercial accommodation facilities, that is holiday homes and apartments, which is 0.6% down from 2018, but there were 4.4% more overnights stays, or 13.1 million, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS). Data from the DZS show that more than twice as many foreign as domestic tourists stayed in non-commercial accommodation facilities in 2019, or 376,000 foreign tourists compared with 140,000 domestic. However, there were less tourists from both categories compared to 2018 - the number of domestic tourists was down by 0.2%,…

ZAGREB, March 30, 2020 - Retail trade in Croatia in February 2020 compared with February 2019 was up 4.9% in real terms the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) reported on Monday. DZS's report shows that retail trade increased both on the year and on the month. According to DZS, total seasonally and working-day adjusted retail trade in February increased by 0.2% on the month in real terms whereas on the year it increased by 4.9% in real terms. Real retail trade turnover has been growing since June 2019. In February this growth, however, was at a slower rate than in…

ZAGREB, March 30, 2020 - Croatia's gross external debt reached €41.1 billion at the end of November 2019, down by 1.6 billion or 3.8% compared with November 2018, but analysts predict a rise in external vulnerability caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Compared with October 2019, external debt - which includes the external debt of the general government, the central bank, other monetary and financial institutions and other domestic sectors as well as direct investment - fell by 4.5%. In the debt structure, the largest share, of 41.3%, accounted for other sectors, i.e. companies that had started to generate positive annual…

The Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) has demanded a new set of measures be implemented by the government to rescue the Croatian economy. They claim, among other things, that mere payment delays are far from enough. As Novac writes on the 29th of March, 2020, HUP's chief executive Davor Majetic said: ''Continuing on from the GSV session held on Friday, the Croatian Employers' Association reiterates the need for the Government of the Republic of Croatia to urgently adopt new measures to save the Croatian economy on the principle of "zero income, zero expenditure,'' HUP, as he claims, has repeatedly "clearly and…

ZAGREB, March 29, 2020 - The Independent Union of Research and Higher Education Employees of Croatia said on Sunday that in addition to doctors, police and the army, employees in the education and research sectors should not be mentioned in public debates on possible public sector wage cuts either. The union notes that unlike medical workers, civil protection, police and the army, the work of teachers from home, on which online education in the current coronavirus epidemic is based, is not visible to the public even though it requires greater and significantly different engagement on their part. Interactive communication provides…

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 28th of March, 2020, templates for the retention of packages and shipments have so far been able to be arranged and completed exclusively at post offices and at a charge. Croatian Post has now changed this in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Here is Croatian Post's statement translated into English and transmitted in full: ''In order to make it easier for recipients of packages who are currently unable to reside at their addresses (for example, citizens of parts of Zagreb who were forced to leave their homes due to the earthquake), Croatian…