Business

Nine years ago, coffee lovers in Croatia were teased with the news that Starbucks, a favorite franchise around the world, would open in the Zagreb Arena. Last week, Croatians were taunted by reports once again. 

ZAGREB, February 25, 2019 - There is a lot of potential to strengthen Croatia-Russia economic relations, particularly in the energy, tourism, pharmaceutical, construction and agriculture sectors, it was said on Monday at a meeting of the Business Council for Cooperation with the Russian Federation and a seminar on how to successfully do business on the Russian market, held at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK). HGK president Luka Burilović underscored that due to sanctions between the EU and Russia, there were certain restrictions and obstacles to economic cooperation between the two countries and that it was necessary to focus on…

ZAGREB, February 25, 2019 - The Zagreb-based IN2 software company has signed a contract on delivery, implementation and maintenance of healthcare information systems in healthcare institutions in Saudi Arabia, the company said in a press release on Monday without revealing the value of the signed contract. With over 40 such institutions in Croatia and in the world in which it introduced modern information systems, IN2 is continuing with its strong export of this solution, strengthening its presence on regional and world markets. "The Green Cube healthcare information system, specially adjusted to their needs, will be implemented in institutions of long-term…

ZAGREB, February 25, 2019 - Russian Ambassador to Croatia Anvar Azimov said on Monday the sale of Russian banks' stakes in Croatia's Agrokor was a corporate issue and that he was certain that in the period ahead Sberbank's main accent would be on further stabilising and improving the situation in the food and retail conglomerate. Responding to questions from the press about the possible sale of Russian state banks' interest in Agrokor, Azimov underlined the positive role of Sberbank and VTB. After the implementation of a settlement for Agrokor, Sberbank will hold 39.2% and VTB 7.5%. Azimov said their main…

February 25, 2019 - The Croatian medical tourism story continues to evolve with another prestigious event, as Zagreb hosts the Euro Events 5th Annual Medical Tourism Conference in Zagreb. Another day, another chapter for Croatia's health tourism industry.  What industry insiders have known for a while is slowly reaching an international audience; there is huge potential for Croatia to become a global player on the international health tourism stage, with several experts agreeing that Croatia could be in the world's top ten medical tourism countries within ten years.   There is an increasing interest in Zagreb and Croatia from health tourism…

As Darko Bicak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 22nd of February, 2019, defending the Croatian justice system today is mission impossible. Mario Vukelić, the president of the High Commercial Court, who took part in the panel entitled "Legal security - the guarantor of investment'' which was held in the framework of the InvestCro conference in Zagreb. "And at this conference, we've heard the word perception many times, so how we perceive something, and not necessarily how things actually stand. The perception of an inefficient justice systemis a fact from which conclusions are drawn. The theory that Croatia has the most unresolved…

ZAGREB, February 24, 2019 - Strong individual consumption and investments continue to support Croatian economic growth, but because of a decrease in industrial output and a slowdown in the export sector, analysts predict that the Croatian GDP growth rate slowed in the fourth quarter of 2018. The National Bureau of Statistics (DZS) is due to release an initial estimate of GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2018 next week. Eight macroeconomists polled by Hina predict that the economy has grown by 2.6 percent over the same period in 2017, their projections ranging between 2.3 and 3.2 percent. It will…

The Central Bureau of Statistics has released data on food prices showing the real effects of the reduced VAT rate on food. According to CBS data, only meat and fruit were cheaper in January. Fruit prices fell by 2.3 per cent, and meat prices by 1.7 per cent. All the other food groups were more expensive in January than the month earlier, reports Prvi Plan on February 24, 2019. Significant discounts, announced and advertised by retailers, and expected by the government, did not happen. On the contrary, food and non-alcoholic beverages prices in January were 0.4 per cent higher than…

As Goran Jungvirth/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 24th of February, 2019, just like in the case of many other industries and categories of workers across the Republic of Croatia, the student population also poses a major challenge to employers when it comes to hiring employees, which is why new web portals and applications are being launched with a view to better connecting the supply and demand markets. At the end of October 2018, a new law on Student Affairs was finally adopted in Croatian Parliament, with the aim of introducing changes that should provide more ease and significantly better conditions…

Investment in Croatia is at an all time low. With the phrase ''ABC'' having become the term for ''Anything But Croatia'' in investor circles, the country needs to do some serious work in order to redeem itself. In order for Croatia to become much more attractive to foreign strategic investors, more concrete and clear steps need to be taken, and high on the agenda lie the proper preparation of public finances and more legal security. As Ana Blaskovic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of February, 2019, despite dramatic headlines, the economy is growing and Croatia's level of public debt is…