Business

ZAGREB, April 26, 2020 - Uncertainties caused by the coronavirus crisis and the March 22 earthquake have affected the office rental market in Zagreb and the present situation is very bad, the president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce real estate agents' association, Dubravko Ranilović, told Hina earlier this week. Ranilović said that numerous downtown buildings that had been rented out as offices, were now damaged and owners and lease holders were now looking for alternatives until the buildings, damaged in the quake, are repaired, which can take time. On the other hand, office building owners are not inclined to…

April 26, 2020 - The latest Glas Poduzetnika (the Voice of Entrepreneurs survey in Croatia focuses on the level of debt its entrepreneurs.  One of the puzzles of the Croatian entrepreneurs' image is also the exact information about the risk they take on, and on the level of exposure, they endure for their companies. On the outside, you will most often see income and profits, but the public rarely has a clear perception of their financial model and about what do they have to comply with for the company to function successfully. One of the interesting criteria, although somewhat complicated,…

April 25, 2020 — Croatia's farming sector turned into a circular firing squad on Saturday after a leader in the Chamber of Agriculture claimed the nation's farmers owed the EU eye-watering sums of misused funds. The Agricultural Ministry later denied all allegations, while admitting some "irregularities" existed in EU-back funding for organic farming which were quickly weeded out. The accusations by Chamber of Agriculture Vice President Antun Vrankić first appeared in a Vecernji List article about the dilapidated state of Eastern Croatia's farming industry. "A Brussels control found that only two percent of the incentives paid for organic farming was justified,…

As Darko Bicak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of April, 2020, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the Croatian logistics and distribution sector is suffering a great deal of damage to its operations as a result of the overall business downturn and the difficulty in working in all segments that make up the total supply chain. International transport within European Union (EU) countries has been very difficult in all segments since the second half of March 2020, when restrictions on border crossings came into force, with the introduction of mandatory quarantine for drivers, a move which virtually prevented any transport operation.…

As Adriano Milovan/Novac writes on the 24th of April, 2020, although many Croatian companies didn't see their operations interrupted even during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, the heads of Croatian companies are eagerly awaiting the decision of the authorities on any normalisation of work and doing business. As some of their top executives say, many Croatian companies have experienced a large increase in costs during the quarantine period, in the harsh conditions in which business is minimised. ''We'd like a relaxation of the measures so that the economy can ''breathe'' again. The current situation isn't sustainable: there are many trucks, while the…

What can Croatian hotels do to ensure the safe functioning of their businesses as COVID-19 continues to lurk? Unfortunately, all the disinfectant in the world can't help the hole that has been blown into the domestic economy, but some patching up might be possible. The coronavirus crisis is continuing to wreak havoc with the global economy, with tourism and travel among the hardest hit industries in the world. Croatia, which has been relying far too heavily and even more too exclusively on tourism for many years, enjoying a three-year boom and seeing tourism make up about 20 percent of the…

April 24, 2020 — Croatian life began a slow march towards normalcy, with the announcement of incrementally-relaxed restrictions over the coming weeks. Restaurants and cafes claim the government's current plan will tank their business, hoping a return to normal comes sooner than expected. Dalmatian restauranteurs said in interviews they will not have Plexiglas dividers in their establishments, nor will transparent barriers line their terraces this summer. The Civil Protection Directorate's 11-point list of anti-coronavirus measures taking force on May 11 will increase costs, sink revenues and ruin guest's experiences, they argue, adding it's not even worth opening. Most said they would…

April 24, 2020 - An important day for shipbuilding in Croatia, as work on new luxury polar discovery cruise ship Eclipse II begins.  “Eclipse II” was ordered by MKM Yachts, a subsidiary of Scenic Group, an Australian corporation that has shipbuilding experience here in Croatia, because their “Scenic Eclipse”, the best luxury vessel of its kind in the world in 2019, was built in the Uljanik shipyard in Uljanik. Scenic Group has plans to build four more cruisers such as “Scenic Eclipse” and “Eclipse II” in 3. Maj. In total, the value of this project is € 860 million, and…

ZAGREB, April 24, 2020 - Trade unions representing public and civil servants on Thursday wrapped up consultations with government representatives with the conclusion that official negotiations on salaries and basic collective agreements would follow, due to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. "We talked about the economic and health safety situation in light of the coronavirus pandemic. We exchanged opinions on how we see certain government measures and their effects. Official negotiations will follow. We expect to.... agree on solutions to all financial challenges the government is facing, which will be to the satisfaction of employees," Labour and…

April 24, 2020 - An English translation of the Glas Poduzetnika recommendations to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.  Government Of The Republic Of Croatia Trg Sv. Marka 2, 10000 Zagreb Attn: Mr. Andrej Plenkovic, Prime Minister Dear Prime Minister, After the publication of the first set of measures proposed by the Government of Croatia, we started the initiative Glas Poduzetnika. The initiative brought together more than 100,000 entrepreneurs, self-employed, and employees in the private sector in less than 15 days of activity, and received a lot of media attention with its precise demands and appearances. Glas Poduzetnika established its position…