ZAGREB, June 25, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at a government session on Thursday that the government's measures designed to help businesses hit by the coronavirus crisis had helped save 600,000 jobs and 103,000 businesses.
Plenkovic recalled that the measures included payments to employers for workers' wages, the write-off of direct taxes and contributions and the procurement of medical equipment for the health system.
Plenkovic said the government had ensured the necessary aid also owing to Croatia's reputation on international financial markets.
"We have secured financing and liquidity, payment of wages and pensions and the normal functioning of the state," he said.
He said that aid worth a total of HRK5.3 billion had been secured for employers in March, April and June, with employers in Zagreb alone receiving HRK 1.6 billion in government aid.
He noted that data from the Croatian Employment Service showed that in terms of employment, Croatia was at the pre-crisis level and that there were 17,500 more unemployed persons because they had not been hired for seasonal jobs.
He said the government would help the business sector also by shortening working hours, which would help them retain workers.
In the EU's next seven-year budget Croatia will have €22 billion at its disposal as well as more than ten million euros from the EU's programme for economic recovery, of which two-thirds are grants, said the PM.
