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ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - Croatia's industrial production grew in November 2021 by 3.7% compared to November 2020, thus rising for the 12th straight month, according to data provided by the national statistical office (DZS). The 12-month rising streak indicates that Croatia's economy continues to bounce back from the corona crisis. The 3.7% rate was higher than the rise of 2.7% in industrial production in October 2021 compared to October 2020.  All five sectors saw growth this November, and the highest one, of 12.5%, was registered in capital goods production, and the lowest rate, 0.7%, was in the production of non-durable…

ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - An earthquake measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale was registered west of Sisak at 2.47 pm on Thursday, Croatia's Seismological Survey said. The epicenter of the tremor was five kilometers west of Sisak. For more news about Croatia, click here.

ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - The government on Thursday adopted a plan for legislative activities in 2022, envisaging 195 laws, with the Justice and Public Administration Ministry expected to put forward 33 bills and the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of the Interior 30 bills. Twenty-one bills refer to the assessment of the effect of legal regulations, 78 bills refer to the euro changeover, and 11 laws will be amended in the context of indicators determined in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The government adopted a conclusion obliging the competent state administration bodies to fully meet the obligations taken over and…

ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - The government on Thursday adopted an HRK 15.3 billion program for the social and economic revitalization of assisted areas in Sisak-Moslavina County following last year's earthquake, and the companies there will receive the most in both domestic and EU support. Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Nataša Tramišak recalled that the government decided to draw up the program on 14 January 2021, two weeks after the quake, and said the program would run until 2029. The new regional support map, which enters into force on 1 January, allows for considerably higher co-financing of regional state…

ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - The government on Thursday adopted the National Healthcare Development Plan 2021-2027, which is aimed at ensuring a balanced geographical distribution and availability of health services and improving healthcare outcomes as a key national priority. The plan provides for five special objectives - better living habits and effective disease prevention, improving the healthcare system, improving care for key healthcare challenges, improving the financial sustainability of the healthcare system, and making the healthcare system a desirable place of work. Health Minister Vili Beroš said that this is an overarching sectoral planning document setting out goals, measures, projects,…

ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš reiterated on Thursday that the fifth wave of COVID-19 infection, with the Omicron variant, was expected in the second half of January and once again called on citizens to get a booster jab, warning that most likely everyone will come into contact with Omicron. Speaking at a cabinet meeting, he said there were 24 confirmed Omicron cases in Croatia but that without stepping up vaccination and strictly complying with the rules, "we probably won't be able to avoid the effects of the full force of the fifth wave in the second half of January."…

ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - Retail sales in Croatia rose for the tenth month in a row in November, indicating a further recovery of consumption and the economy from the coronavirus crisis, according to a report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS) on Thursday. Retail sales fell by 2.0% from October 2021 and increased by 5.2% compared with November 2020, which is slower growth than in October 2021 when consumption had jumped by 9.2% year on year. "This confirms a slowdown in the pace of growth partly due to the base period effect and partly due to the renewed…

ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - The government decided on Thursday to suspend the buyback of INA from MOL due to new legal circumstances stemming from the Supreme Court's final ruling against former PM Ivo Sanader, who was found guilty of receiving bribes from MOL executive Zsolt Hernadi. Sanader was given six years and Hernadi, who is beyond the reach of Croatia's authorities, was given two years in this graft case. The Andrej Plenković government also decided to launch a review of the 2016 ruling of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) under which Croatia lost an arbitration case it brought against…

ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - The Solidarna foundation for human rights and solidarity said on Thursday that its Fund 5.5. had raised over HRK 17 million (€2.3m) to help 1,200 families in Sisak-Moslavina County worst affected by last year's earthquake. Over 1,000 families have been granted financial aid and some have been provided with accommodation and assistance in repairing their damaged homes and properties. The Fund 5.5 has invested an additional million kuna in the development of local communities in the earthquake- and poverty-affected area, the foundation said in a press release.  The HRK 17 million was raised from 27,614 individuals and 637 companies from…

ZAGREB, 30 Dec 2021 - The government is pausing the buyback of the Hungarian energy group MOL's stake in the INA oil and gas company because of new legal circumstances arising from a Supreme Court verdict and is launching a review of the shareholders' agreement and the gas business agreement, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Thursday. Speaking at the start of the cabinet meeting, Plenković said that proceedings against the first amendment to the INA shareholders' agreement and the gas business agreement were being launched because the government believes that in light of the Supreme Court's final judgment the agreements cannot…