ZAGREB, 2 Sept 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Thursday that job-retention grants of HRK 4,000 per employee for August would remain in place for the catering industry, the event industry, passenger transport, and travel agencies.

The grants will be disbursed in September to the event industry, travel agencies, and nightclubs, he said, recalling the relaxation of the anti-epidemic measures as of 1 September.

All other businesses are more or less going back to normal, he said, adding that in case the need for grants emerges in some other sectors, the authorities will consider the matter.

The shortened working week measure remains in force until the end of this year and covers up to 90% of the wages including contributions, Plenković said.

The government is set to turn from the job-retention to job-creation measures, whereby the employment schemes will be bolstered with HRK 500 million, and in 2022 the allocation for this purpose will be HRK 1.5 billion, he added.

HRK 18 billion for job-retention measures, contributions

The job-retention schemes, including the schemes for salaries and contributions, cost HRK 18 billion, Plenković said.

Nearly every second job was covered by the schemes, or 700,000 out of 1.59 million, and 92% of the companies operating in Croatia were covered.

As a result, there are now 52,000 more employees in Croatia than in the corresponding period of 2020, and 6,000 more than in the corresponding period of 2019, the prime minister said.

Furthermore, there are 9,000 fewer people out of work compared to March 2020, just before the outbreak of the pandemic in Croatia, he added.

 (€1 = HRK 7.5) 

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Zagreb, 27th April 2020—The Event Committee of the Glas Poduzetnika Association has sent four emergency measures to the Ministries of Culture, Tourism, and Economy. These measures are crucial for the survival of the Croatian event industry threatened by the prohibition of public gatherings.

Four suggestions have been sent to the addresses of minister Obuljen Korzinek, and ministers Horvat and Capelli for the beginning of the fight to save the industry that brings more than 4.5 billion kunas of income per year:

1. Urgent adoption of the plan for the release of measures prohibiting the public gatherings—especially for events of 100, 500, and 1000 or more visitors. The Association believes that small events, up to 100 people, can get started as soon as possible, given that they are no more risky than, for example, large stores, religious gatherings, and similar. With this in mind, it is necessary to determine the expected protection measures at public gatherings so that collaborators in the event industry can begin to prepare adequately. Besides, we are asking for an urgent announcement of the date before which events of more than 1000 people will certainly not be allowed, so that the organizers have a legal basis for postponing or canceling the event and minimizing incurred costs.

2. Extension of the Croatian Employment Service measures—for the most affected companies in the event industry to additional 3+3 months, in total 3+3+3+3. Eligible companies would have a traffic decline of more than 70% in the referent three-month period compared to the same three-month period last year.

3. Expansion of the voucher system to event tickets—changes that are already integrated with article 38a of the Act on Provision of Tourism Services regarding the possibility of issuing vouchers, or delayed refunds for packages, to include the event tickets (concerts, festivals, conferences), given that event organizers are compromised in the same way and dealing with the same non-liquidity problem. We suggest that the issued voucher can be used in 365 days from the day of the postponed event for that or other events by the same organizer, and if that doesn't work for the customer, they can get a refund in 30 days from the expiration of 365 days from the postponed event.

4. Loosening of the conditions for HAMAG COVID-19 loans for small companies—the extension of the period of using the credits from 6 to 12 months, expanding the fund for HBOR COVID-19 loans, and modifying the conditions to include all activities at risk.

The Croatian event industry, more precisely companies and self-employed that live directly from various forms of public gatherings, counts around 2,000 entities that employ 10,000 people and whose revenue is more than 4.5 billion kunas per year, as mentioned above. Adding the tourist consumption, income from overnight stays, hospitality and all other directly related income, this revenue gets a few times higher than mentioned numbers—it becomes clear that the event industry is one of the crucial parts of Croatian tourism, but also the economy, culture, and society in whole.

The Event Committee is a separate group within the Glas Poduzetnika Association. It includes the most prominent Croatian representatives of the event industry and organizers of the most popular domestic festivals, concerts, conferences, and parties. The Glas Poduzetnika Association is the leading representative of micro, small and medium-size entrepreneurs, self-employed, and skilled trades professionals counting over 8,000 members. They are all gathered around the mutual goal of fighting to save the economy, for more quality entrepreneurial ambient and long-term healthier and more quality society under the parole Croatia 2.0.

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