ZAGREB, 17 June 2022 - Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Peđa Grbin warned on Friday that inflation in Croatia had reached a record high of 11% and that the government was not using measures at its disposal to fight inflation systematically.
"Inflation affects all people, but not equally. It affects people with the lowest incomes the most. That's why the bulk of our measures is aimed at the poorest people," Grbin said while presenting his party's package of anti-inflation measures at a press conference in the northern Adriatic city of Pula.
The SDP is proposing a change to the pension indexation method, ensuring funds for a new energy allowance for the most vulnerable groups, notably workers and pensioners with a monthly income of less than HRK 4,000 (€533), modifications to the method of calculating oil prices, and an aid package for businesses suffering the consequences of the Ukraine war.
Grbin expressed hope that Finance Minister Zdravko Marić, who attends EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council meetings, would take that opportunity and put two initiatives on the table - one relating to the amount of excise tax on fuel and the other concerning the calculation of VAT on excise tax on fuel.
"Give that a huge increase in fuel prices has been announced for next week, obviously we need to take action already today," Grbin said.
