News

ZAGREB, 28 May 2021 - Croatia will continue in June with job-retention measures for enterprises affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and those in earthquake-hit areas, and the criteria, enterprises concerned and subsidy amounts will stay the same, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said at a cabinet meeting on Friday. He said that from March 2020 through 25 May 2021, the state set aside HRK 10.5 billion for job-retention subsidies, covering more than 680,000 workers in over 120,000 enterprises. Plenković said that despite the extraordinary circumstances caused by the pandemic, the number of Croatian Pension Insurance Institute insurees was twice as high as in 2019 and 2020, and that the…

ZAGREB, 28 May 2021 - The Croatian government will procure 12 used French multipurpose fighter jets Dassault Rafale F3R for €999 million, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Friday. "The government assessed that the French offer was the best," he said at a cabinet meeting, adding that ten single-seat and two twin-seat jets would be procured. Plenković said the Dassault Rafale F3R was a latest generation aircraft and that it was considered among the best in the world. "The French offer turned out to be the best because Croatia is getting the best-assessed and equipped aircraft for the least money," he said, adding…

ZAGREB, 28 May 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Friday formally opened the new building of the Sisak Hospital compounds that house an outpatient treatment department and unscheduled and emergency care services. The implementation of the project, worth 132 million kuna, started in 2017, at the beginning of the term of the first cabinet of Prime Minister Plenković. During his visit to Sisak today, Plenković recalled that his government had supported projects for outpatient facilities in 24 cities plus projects for unscheduled and emergency care service improvement in seven of those cities. He said that the total investment in the upgrade of…

May 28, 2021 - HNK Hajduk has named its new coach, Swedish expert Jens Gustafsson, after parting ways with Paolo Tramezzani earlier this week.  Hajduk's statement transmitted in full: "HNK Hajduk and Jens Gustafsson have agreed on a two-year contract, based on which the 42-year-old Swedish expert will take over the position of the first-team coach. Jens Gustafsson was born in Helsingborg on October 15, 1978. He started his football career in Helsingborg and also played for the Swedish clubs Brage and Falkenberg. He started his coaching career with the U-17 team of Halmstad, where he was very quickly promoted to…

ZAGREB, 28 May 2021 - In April 2021, the retail trade turnover went up for the third consecutive month at the highest rate since the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) has been following this data, which indicates the continued recovery of consumption and the entire economy. The DZS said on Friday the working-day adjusted retail trade turnover in April 2021 was 2.1% lower than in March 2021 in real terms, while increasing 34.4% on the year. April 2021 was the third straight month that consumption increased year on year after falling for 11 in a row due to the pandemic, while the 34.4% jump was the…

 ZAGREB, 28 May 2021 - In the past 24 hours 321 new coronavirus cases and 11 COVID-19 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 response team said on Friday. There are 2,726 active cases, including 904 hospitalised patients, of whom 95 are on ventilators, while 11,723 persons are self-isolating. So far 1,999,818 persons have been tested for the virus, including 5,273 in the past 24 hours, with the share of positive tests standing at 6%. By Thursday 1,686,585 vaccines have been administered, with 1,240,309 persons receiving the first dose and 446,276 both. So far Croatia has registered 355,617 coronavirus cases, 7,992…

ZAGREB, 28 May 2021 - Defence Minister Mario Banožić and military Chief-Of-Staff Admiral Robert Hranj on Friday extended greetings on Croatian Army Day, Croatian Ground Army Day and the Croatian National Guard's 30th anniversary, saying Croatia was proud of its history and the Homeland War and focused on the future. Banožić recalled the lining up of the Croatian National Guard 30 years ago in front of then president and supreme commander Franjo Tuđman, saying that in an imposed war, in fighting for freedom and independence, the resolute and brave Croatian youth in a short time grew into a reputable military power capable…

ZAGREB, May 28 2021 - The incidents against Bulgarians in Zagreb over which Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has accused President Zoran Milanović of incitement consisted of verbal abuse against two Bulgarian nationals by a seller at a farmers' market and a taxi driver, Jutarnji List said on Friday. Police are investigating the two cases, while a third one was solved by intervention of the Bulgarian Embassy, the daily said. According to the first police report, the target was an elderly Bulgarian lady who said that after she entered a taxi, the driver rudely told her that she had closed the door too hard. He asked her…

May 28, 2021 - Olive oil is a must on Croatian tables, but its impact and quality transcend borders. A great example is Hvar olive oil, which has made a triumphant return from an international competition in New York. Turistickeprice.hr reports that Hvar olive oil again achieved great success at the prestigious New York International Olive Oil Competition. It is a continuation of the successful tradition of Hvar olive growers on the international scene. Despite its impeccable natural beauty and rich history, the island of Hvar is often visited by tourists and recognized as one of the top destinations for summer…

ZAGREB, 28 May 2021 - The European Investment Fund has approved a €35 million guarantee to the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR), allowing it to originate a portfolio of €50 million to mitigate the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, HBOR said on Friday. HBOR will approve loans at interest rates reduced by 0.403 percentage points or only with bills of exchange and promissory notes as collateral. The EIF guarantee stems from the Pan-European Guarantee Fund (EGF), a €25 billion guarantee facility set up by the European Investment Bank Group in 2020 to accelerate the post-COVID-19 recovery of the European economy. The EGF guarantee will allow HBOR to offer…