The prime minister offers commentary on everything from tax reforms, minimum wage increases, employment figures and unburdening entrepreneurs to the questionable state of Croatian football.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 3rd of December, 2017, the prime minister added that the effects of tax reforms that saw an increase in salaries that was seen through consumption which ultimately generated growth.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was in the Northern Croatian town of Varaždin on Saturday where he opened a new student home, announcing that next week the government would consider a ''package'' of measures that would foresee an increase in the country's minimum wage.
Plenković was openly asked by journalists whether or not the government was preparing to leave some "gifts under the three" to citizens at the end of the year, to which he responded that the government was preparing to consider measures to increase the minimum wage. He also made it known that both himself and his government were very much aware that many people in the country are living on the edge of poverty, you can read more about that here.
Plenković also reiterated how the tax rate was reduced last year.
"In this way, we've shown how much we want to unburden entrepreneurs, that is, for those people who have an idea, a program, a plan, who want to make concrete efforts to contribute to themselves and to the whole society, and I think that this effect is now clear: debt reduction, continued economic growth, a reduction in unemployment, I think these are the frameworks that we need to keep on track with, Croatia has reduced youth unemployment from 2013 to 2017 from 49 to 26 percent, which is a great step forward, and we have to continue [that way],'' the PM stated.
At a journalist's request, Plenković also commented on the election for the president of the Croatian Football Association and first emphasised that sport should be something that is completely depoliticised.
''It's important that the problems that exist in Croatian football start being solved. Football, as well as sport in general, must be a process in society through which people learn about teamwork, motivation and a healthy life. Sport mustn't contribute to creating divisions between the north and the south, between the clubs, we can't have anymore violence from supporters,'' Plenković said, adding that it seems to him that HNS has a complicated statute for candidacy.
"It would be good to have more candidates in this process, to present their proposals and have a formal candidacy, so that the Croatian Football Association will make a step forward and change. I think this is especially important when the team achieves such great results, such as placement in the World Cup where it automatically creates a positive atmosphere in society, and I therefore hope that all those who lead the football federation will take into account how much their activities can have a symbolic, transformative effect on the processes in society,'' concluded Plenković.
