August the 5th, 2022 - Knin in inland Dalmatia has unfortunately been left to ''go to the dogs'' in the economic sense, but the arrival of PicoPACK's new entrepreneurial centre and factory could see that neglect overturned.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, despite being one of the most economically deprived and neglected parts of the entire country, every year at the beginning of August, on the occasion of Victory Day and the Day of Croatian Veterans, the City of Knin comes into the public spotlight. This isn't only in the historical and political sense, but also in an economic one.

According to the data presented by the Financial Agency (Fina) for the year 2021, and according to the processed financial statements, 105 enterprises with 615 employees were operating in the City of Knin, which is a reduction of the number of employees there by 36 or 5.5 percent when compared to 2020.

DIV is the largest employer in Knin

Back in 2021, Knin-based companies achieved 255.4 million kuna in total income, which is an increase of 18 percent when compared to 2020, and total expenses of 242.7 million kuna, marking growth of 21.3 percent.

The share of enterprises based in Knin in the number of enterprises in the wider Sibenik-Knin County back in 2021 stood at 3.9 percent, in terms of the number of employees it stood at 4.9 percent, in terms of total income, three percent, and in terms of net profit - 4.8 percent.

Among companies based in Knin, ranked according to total revenue, the first small enterprise is Sirovina Benz transport with sixteen employees. Last year, the company achieved 41.4 million kuna in total revenue, which is a share of 16.2 percent in the total revenue of all companies headquartered in Knin.

Transport beton Lubina took second place with almost 37 million kuna in revenue and 2.6 million kuna in profit, followed by Production Shopping Centre Krka Knin with 24.8 million kuna and Efficient Powerful Successful with 21.7 million kuna in total revenue. This company, from the wider DIV group's system, is also the largest employer with as many as 164 employees to boast of. The Top 10 companies by revenue also include Logistika, Ljekarne (Pharmacies) Silvija Saric, G.O. Gradjevinar (Builder) Vrbnik, Komunalno Poduzece (Municipal Company), Cistoca i zelenilo and Agro Herc.

By the end of this year, according to all indicators, the economic situation in Knin should be improved because, according to announcements, the factory belonging to the wider PicoPACK Group Austria, a multinational company for the production of packaging with branches in several countries in Europe and Asia, should be opened in that inland Dalmatian city.

As they stated, their team specialises in the development and production of industrial solutions for the packaging of any type of bulk materials in both the food and non-food sector, as well as the packaging of dangerous substances and transport solutions for bagged cargo. As one of the largest suppliers of this type of goods in all of Europe, and being motivated by a significant increase in the costs of transportation from India and China, as well as the inability to ensure timely deliveries, the PicoPACK Group plans to transfer its product production facility from India to Europe.

An additional reason is the impossibility of ensuring adequate product quality in a remote facility in India. If everything goes well, they would install their future production and distribution centre in the Knin Enterprise Centre, which is currently under construction. This represents one of the most significant projects from the Intervention Plan of the city of Knin, with a total value of 33.3 million kuna, which will convert the former Kninjanka factory into an Entrepreneurship Centre, as a key element of the city's entrepreneurial infrastructure.

According to the already prepared Business Plan, PicoPACK Group initially plans to employ around seventy employees, with the fact that by the end of the year, if they succeed in realising their plan, they expect to employ a total of 300 workers in their future Knin-based plant.

The special advantage of the City of Knin for PicoPACK as a location for stationing their central production and distribution centre, lies in the possibility of the relatively quick activation in the newly renovated Entrepreneurial Centre, without the obligation of designing and building a brand new facility, then in the possibility of finding a sufficient number of employees with an adequate qualification structure, and last but by no means least, in the fact that Knin is in geostrategically favourable location with a branched traffic network.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

June 22, 2022 - If you are traveling from Zagreb to Split, or vice versa, you will most likely take highways E71 and E65 to get to your destination as quickly as possible. If you are not in a hurry, the old highway passing through Drniš, Knin, and Lika will surprise you.

I went to Zagreb recently, and contrary to my usual practices, I decided to bet on BlaBlaCar to travel to the Croatian capital. For those not very familiar with this application, you can choose a place of origin and destination and see which drivers (people like you or me) travel the same route and can give you a lift for a fee. I remember that a few hours before I met the driver in Split, she called me to ask if I had to get to Zagreb fast or if we could take the old highway that passed through Drniš. I didn't think much about it, but it was true that I wasn't in a hurry.

I am one of those people who say yes without thinking much, and sometimes that works against me. On this occasion, I want to thank my brain for being that way, since I discovered a way to travel through Croatia that will always remain in my memory, and that I will surely try to repeat more often.

The beginning of the route is quite similar if your plan is to get to Dugopolje to take the E65 highway, only this time you will have to take the highway junction at Klis-Grlo, and you will now be on the D56 road in the direction of Drniš. Unlike the fast highways to Zagreb, this route can take between 5 and 5 hours and thirty minutes by car, almost an hour more. It's worth it? If you really have to get to Zagreb, or to Split, as soon as possible, there is not much I can tell you. But if you have time to spare, there are plenty of things you should consider that will surely encourage you to try something new. I mean, yes. There's nothing like the feeling of speed, but don't you sometimes get bored with your foot on the accelerator at a constant speed watching cars and trucks go by? I'm not saying the views aren't spectacular, because they are. What I'm trying to say is that there comes a point where you're no longer excited or surprised. Sometimes daring helps you discover new places and landscapes.

Here are some of the places you will see along the way:

Drniš

After crossing the picturesque valley behind Klis and crossing into the Sibenik-Knin region, you will find yourself in the village of Drniš, located halfway between the city of Šibenik and Knin. The valleys that anticipate and surround it will make you stop several times to carefully appreciate its beauty. There are many reasons why you should discover Drniš. Because it is a town with a rich tradition of culture and food, not least Croatia's most-distinct prosciutto (Drniš pršut). Additionally, it is the birthplace of Croatia's most famous sculptor, the world-renowned Ivan Meštrović.

Image: Drniš Tourist Board

Knin

In Drniš, you will change the D56 road to the D33 in the direction of the historic town of Knin, which is almost half an hour away by car. If you start to feel like it's time to grab a coffee, grab a bite to eat, or even go to the bathroom, this is a good time. Personally, I would tell you to hold on a little longer because the next place to visit may be worth the wait. You can also walk through the streets of Knin, full of history that goes back hundreds of years and is mixed with a very recent one.

Photo: Mario Romulić

Macola Restaurant

Have you stopped at the Macola restaurant on the E65 highway? If the name doesn't ring a bell, you'll remember it for its stuffed bears and boars inside. It is very likely that you have stopped there on the way to have a coffee or something to eat. Although it is not exactly a destination, you might like to know that the original Macola is located on the D1 road, an hour and a half from Knin, and already in the county of Lika-Senj. Before the E65 existed, this was one of the most popular rest and refreshment points among travelers. My suggestion? A coffee and a walnut or apple strudel are a must.

Photo: Jose Alfonso Cussianovich

Plitvice

I know that while you are not in a rush, you also do not have enough time to explore Plitvice Lakes National Park, the largest and oldest national park in Croatia. Perhaps you may find it interesting that two of the entrances to the national park are on the D1 road. You will definitely have to visit the Plitvice Lakes at some point, but for now, you will be able to enjoy the beautiful greenery that accompanies this part of the road, something that you will not be able to see on the E71 highway. If you are interested in visiting the Plitvice Lakes National Park, have you taken a look at the contest that we have organized in collaboration with the Park? You can win two tickets to visit it!

Image: Plitvice Lakes National Park

Slunj

It is difficult to get to Zagreb or Split via the same old motorway, as at some point you will have to return to the fast one either in Karlovac or in Dugopolje. However, that doesn't mean that was all you could see. Be it the first or last of your stops, you have to check out the magical, fairytale town of Slunj. If you have the time, visit it! And if not, from the same road you will be able to see it in the distance and feel that you are going through a location described by J.R.R. Tolkien!

Image: Slunj Tourist Board

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 26 April 2022 - Šibenik-Knin police confirmed on Tuesday that they are investigating an incident in which several stickers with Chetnik symbols were put on public lamp posts in Knin over the past weekend.

A spokesman for the Šibenik-Knin County police departement, Šime Pavić, said that on Sunday the police noticed stickers with Chetnik symbols on several public lamp posts and that the incident was being investigated.

In a statement for the Slobodna Dalmacija daily, Knin Mayor Marijo Čačić said that he is convinced that the perpetrators were not from Knin. "Their intention is to stir the waters in what is usually a peaceful life in Knin," Čačić said, underscoring that there is no tension among the local population.

He added that the town's municipal officers had inspected local CCTV webcams together with the police in an effort to identify the perpetrators.

Former Knin mayor and incumbent county head Marko Jelić made a similar comment. "The fact is that the past Easter holidays is a period when many people who moved away from Knin visit their hometown. Some of them nurture feelings that are certainly not Christian and create problems for us all, particularly for the Orthodox Serb community in Croatia," Jelić said.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated politics section.

January 21, 2022 – Celebrating its birthday this week, Krka National Park is 37 years old. To mark the occasion, the park is inviting everyone to visit this weekend for free.

Just 20 minutes drive from the seaside town of Šibenik, Krka National Park is one of Croatia's most famous, most popular and most spectacular National Parks. Within 109 square kilometres of the Krka river valley, you'll find seven spectacular waterfalls, wonderful wildlife, epic karst rock canyons and thrilling views. It is a recreational playground of limitless enjoyment.

© Krka National Park

Over one million visitors come each year to Krka National Park. On the birthday weekend that Krka National Park is 37, park authorities are opening the entrances to everyone for free. It's the perfect opportunity to come and explore. From hiking trails and cycle paths to bird watching and landscape or nature photography, there's lots to see and do.

Roški Slap waterfall near Drniš © Krka National Park

You may have seen Skradinski Buk and the pools near the southern section of the park and Šibenik. But, have you found Roški Slap waterfall further up, just a few kilometres west of Drniš? Or did you see the northern entrance of the park and its series of waterfalls near Knin? There's more in Krka National Park than you could discover in just one weekend.

'People from the Krka' photography for Krka National Park is 37

An extra attraction added in time for the birthday weekend is a public display of a specially curated photo series.

The landscape of what is today Krka National Park has been marked for millennia by the hands of man. People have existed alongside the Krka river since prehistory. Within the park, you can see evidence of how people have lived here across the ages.

People from the Krka is an exhibition of photographs that show folks whose lives and work happen within the river Krka canyon. The photographs are taken in the period from the founding of Krka National Park until today. The exhibition has been authored by renowned photographer Damil Kalogjera, who is particularly noted for his portrait work. It is the first in a series of NP Krka exhibitions that will present the people who live along the Krka.

© Krka National Park

The opening of the photo exhibition will take place at 12 midday on Saturday 22 January at the Imperial Plateau on the lookout point above Skradinski Buk. It offers an unforgettable view of Krka's largest and most famous waterfall. Performing at the opening ceremony will be Skradin acapella group Klapa Skradinski Buk.

Klapa Skradinski buk

On the weekend that Krka National Park is 37, admission to the park is free on Saturday and Sunday. The park is open from 9am to 4pm. Entry into enclosed spaces is only possible with an EU digital COVID certificate.

Why not take advantage of the offer and visit Krka National Park for a full weekend? You can find brilliant accommodation in nearby Šibenik (here), Knin (here) or Drniš (here).

Roški Slap waterfall near Drniš © Krka National Park

For more information about Krka National Park, look here.

September the 23rd, 2021 - Knin has faced economic issues for a long time now, with many people leaving for either Zagreb, seasonal work on the coast or heading abroad. The Austrian company PicoPack could be set to turn things around for this inland Dalmatian town as it sets up local production.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, an new opportunity is opening up Knin, known for its role during the Homeland War, to do better economically and become a European brand for polypropylene jumbo bags. These bags are applied in a wide variety of sectors, including the agriculture, petrochemical and food processing industries. These are highly sought-after products that are otherwise imported into Croatia, but with this move, the Croatian packaging industry will soon get its first representative in the segment of the production of industrial packaging for bulk products.

The Austrian company PicoPack had the best conditions offered to them in Knin

The Austrian company PicoPack Group, a manufacturer and distributor of industrial packaging, is finalising an agreement regarding its new project, which they have decided to implement right here in Croatia. In order to supply their numerous customers from Europe and the Russian Federation and to invest in production capacity of about 18,000 square metres, the investor chose Knin. The inland Dalmatian town was chosen above all other options.

The holder of the project is the newly established company Velebit ambalaza, in which the Austrian company PicoPack will hold a 51 percent share and the entrepreneur Goran Jerkovic will hold one of 49 percent. Austrian entrepreneur and leader of PicoPack, Manfred Pribyl, confirmed that good offers from other countries, such as Bulgaria, were also considered for the project, but the best conditions and in that sense support for the project, after Jerkovic's engagement, were received from Knin. The new Knin factory could be one of the largest in all of Europe, Pribyl says, adding that the company is expanding its production globally under the influence of the coronavirus pandemic, in response to increased transport costs and longer delivery times.

Production in India, organised sixteen years ago, is now being redirected solely to the African, Australian and American markets, but the model of how they work will be replicated at the Croatian Knin factory. In addition to the workers at the plant, they will additionally have a larger number of them in education within their small educational institution, so they will always have enough workers. Pribyl stated that he will motivate them with net salaries of up to 1,000 euros, but also with the distribution of about 20 percent of profits to workers every six months, which is an unprecedented positive example in recent entrepreneurial practice.

Since back in 2007, nine entrepreneurs have been operating in the Preparandija zone, but Knin is completing the reconstruction of two significant facilities, one of which is the former Kninjanka facility. According to the head of the Knin Administrative Department for EU Programmes and Economy, Josko Nedoklan, the project is worth around 33.34 million kuna, is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, and the works on the facility should be completed by April 2022.

For more, check our our dedicated business section.

ZAGREB, 26 Aug 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said at a ceremony commemorating civilian victims of the war who died 30 years ago in Kijevo, outside Knin, that reconciliation and forgiveness required reciprocity and not arrogance and haughtiness.

Speaking of Karst areas where residents of Kijevo live and where the early medieval Croatian state hails from, Milanović said "our first churches were built here, our identity is here, our roots are here, this is stone."

"Hardly anything grows in stone, and those who survive, who are strong, who resist, those have a worth and those cannot be rooted out. Those are the people of the Dalmatian hinterland, the people of Herzegovina. They suffered during the war but I don't see them as victims or those who need charity, I see them as winners. Winners who are dignified and at the same time those who forgive and have mercy," Milanović said.

The European Union is founded on the culture of forgiveness, self-reflection, faith into a better future and the right to a new beginning, the president said adding that reconciliation and forgiveness require reciprocity and not arrogance and haughtiness. He recalled that brave soldiers had died in Kijevo, but that defenceless civilians had also been killed there.

"When I visit Grubori, the place where atrocities were committed, I come as president, as a Croat, as a citizen of this country and as a common human being. I have no ultimate expectations, but as a human being it would make me happy if the other side, and I say 'the other side' with caution because I am not a fan of such divisions, would be reciprocal. This is the only way the European civilization, good neighborly relations, and unity survive," the president said.

Milanović took part in ceremonies, marking the suffering of civilian victims from Kijevo during the Homeland War.

At the beginning of the Homeland War, the Croat-populated village of Kijevo was besieged by the local Serb rebels supported by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) units under the command of Ratko Mladić.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August the 8th, 2021 - The number of Knin enterprises has increased by almost 30 percent in the last decade alone, which is excellent news for this otherwise often forgotten (at least economically) part of inland Dalmatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, in the ten-year period from 2011 to 2020, the number of Knin enterprises has increased from 76 to 98, marking an increase of 28.9 percent, according to data from the Financial Agency (Fina) presented on the occasion of the recent Victory Day. This celebration is traditionally and historically associated with Knin, where every year on August the 5th, the central celebration takes place.

During this period, the number of employees in Knin also increased, from 653 workers in 2011 to 684 in the previous year, which is a 4.7 percent increase. The total revenues generated by Knin enterprises during the observed period were the highest of all back in 2011, when they amounted to 429.2 million kuna, and the lowest in 2018 with 163.7 million kuna.

Throughout the observed period, Knin enterprises operated positively, with the highest net profit in the amount of 15.8 million kuna in 2020, even when compared to pre-pandemic 2019 when their net profit amounted to 12.1 million kuna, recording significant growth of 30.7 percent.

Compared to the result in the initially observed year, 2011, when the net profit amounted to 9.7 million kuna, the generated net profit in pandemic-dominated 2020 was higher by 63.2 percent for Knin enterprises.

The share of Knin enterprises back in 2020 in the number of companies headquartered in the wider Sibenik-Knin County stood at 3.7 percent, in terms of the number of employees, 5.5 percent, in terms of total revenues 3.4 percent, in terms of total expenses 3.4 percent, in profit periods 4.8 percent and in loss periods - 0.5 percent.

The average monthly net salary calculated for employees of Knin enterprises back in 2020 amounted to 4263 kuna and is 20.2 percent lower than the average monthly net salary calculated for employees of companies based in the wider Sibenik-Knin County, where it was 5342 kuna.

For comparison, the average monthly calculated net salary of employees in enterprises at the level of the whole of Croatia in 2020 amounted to 5,971 kuna and is higher by 40.1 percent than the average monthly net salary calculated of employees working for Knin enterprises, and is 11.8 percent higher than the average net salary of employees of companies based in Sibenik-Knin County.

According to the total revenues recorded back in 2020, the most successful companies in Knin are: Transport beton Lubina with 19 employees and 36.5 million kuna in total revenues and Efficient Powerful Successful with 248 employees and 36.3 million kuna in total revenues.

The company Transport beton Lubina was founded back in 2007 as a small family company, and today it has successfully spread throughout Croatia. It is engaged in the production, transport and delivery of concrete for tourist, residential, business and energy facilities. Efficient Powerful Successful, on the other hand, is engaged in the production of metal structures and their accompanying parts.

For more, follow our business section.

ZAGREB, 6 Aug 2021 - The southern municipality of Biskupija and the Serb National Council (SNV) on Friday held a commemoration in Uzdolje near Knin for civilian victims of the 1995 military and police Operation Storm, at a site where eight Serb civilians were killed on 6 August 1995.

In 2017 the SNV branch in Biskupija and the association of the families of missing persons "Protiv zaborava" (Against oblivion) unveiled a memorial commemorating the civilians killed at Uzdolje.

Today a religious service was held for the victims at the site and wreaths were laid and candles lit at the memorial by local ethnic Serb officials and Serb minority MP Anja Šimpraga.

The SNV recalled in a statement that the Documenta - Centre for Dealing with the Past nongovernmental organisation in August 2017 filed a criminal report against unidentified perpetrators for the crime committed at Uzdolje.

"The criminal report, which no institution has yet acted on, relies for the most part on facts about the crime on which light was shed in an investigation by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), primarily by witness statements," the SNV said.

It recalled that the investigation by the ICTY showed that three men, wearing camouflage uniforms with Croatian Army insignia on them and armed with machine guns, arrived by car in Uzdolje's hamlet of Šare in the morning of 6 August 1995.

They started abusing and intimidating elderly people they found in the hamlet, taking away a group of villagers to a location near the Knin-Drniš road, where one of the three men opened fire at them, killing seven, including three women. One person survived and managed to escape to a nearby forest.

Another person, an elderly woman, was killed in her house.

The SNV said it was not clear what prevented prosecutorial authorities to further investigate the crime and called on them to do so.

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ZAGREB, 4 Aug, 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Wednesday that the fact that some of the army generals will not attend the Victory Day celebration in Knin is not a boycott, but that they received invitations too late.

Who has announced a boycott? Ljubo Ćesić Rojs has not. Josip Đakić is not a general, he is a bum, and a member of parliament, in other words he is nobody. Rojs will be there, Pavao Miljavac will be there and Ante Kotromanović will be there. Of course, not everyone can come every year, but most  people will be there," Milanović said during a visit to the southern town of Sinj.

He said he did not think there was any pressure on some of the generals by the Defence Ministry "because no one can exert pressure on those people," but noted that some of the generals and commanders were put in an awkward position because they received the invitation the day before the event, which was the ministry's responsibility.

During the visit, Milanović conferred high state medals on retired Brigadier Dušan Viro and posthumously on Franciscan Frane Bilokapić for their acts of humanity during the 1991-1995 Homeland War.

He said he did not consider the decoration of General Mladen Kruljac disputable even though he had been found guilty of corruption. "He is a war commander and is decorated what he did in the war. No one is perfect, but what he did in the war is without a doubt impeccable, and he is not the only one."

Judge Dobronić is my candidate for Supreme Court President

Answering questions from the press, Milanović confirmed that 61-year-old Judge Radovan Dobronić is his candidate for the position of Supreme Court President.

He has responded to the call for applications and "now we will see what will those who undermined, torpedoed and dishonoured my previous candidate do," Milanović said, describing Dobronić as smart, educated, honourable and incorruptible.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 27 July, 2021 - The 26th anniversary of Operation Storm will be organised in accordance with epidemiological measures and the central celebration will be held at the football stadium in Knin, while the ceremonial part will take place at the Knin Fortress, Veterans' Affairs Minister Tomo Medved said on Tuesday.

Based on guidance from the Croatian Public Health Institute on compliance with coronavirus restrictions, it has been assessed that the Knin stadium is the best place to organise a dignified commemoration of this important date in our recent history while respecting the epidemiological measures, Medved told a press conference after a meeting of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and relevant cabinet ministers with representatives of the association of retired Croatian army generals.

Before the commemoration, senior state officials will lay wreaths in front of the monument to the casualties and the 1991-1995 Homeland War.

Asked whether he expected representatives of the Serb minority to attend, after Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević of the Independent Democratic Serbian Party (SDSS) attended last year's ceremony, Medved said that an agreement had not yet been reached as to which cabinet members would be attending.

Reporters were also interested in hearing whether anyone from the Croatian Defence Force (HOS), the paramilitary arm of the right-wing Croatian Party of Rights,  would attend, Medved said that the position of the Council for Facing the Past was clear and that all components of the Croatian army and police, as well as associations of Homeland War veterans and casualties, would be invited to attend that important anniversary.

Miljavac: The problem is that young people are being recruited with HOS insignia

The head of the association of retired army generals, Pavao Miljavac, said that the association supports the idea for the commemoration to be held at the stadium due to the COVID-19 situation.

As for HOS's participation in the war, Miljavac said that its members need to be honoured as they went to defend Croatia without any ideology.

"The problem to me is that young people, 19 or 20 year olds,  are again being recruited with HOS insignia," said Miljavac and quoted the late president Franjo Tuđman as saying: "Had we continued down that path, Croatia would hardly have been recognised."

During the meeting, the participants discussed disagreements over the Civilian Casualties of the Homeland War Act.

Miljavac underscored that the minister assured them that the law would be implemented in such a way that it will minimise any possible abuse of the law.

"Strict coordination will be conducted between the Interior Ministry and Croatian defenders. We have a list of who was where - almost 95%, so that it will be strictly implemented, and there shouldn't be any abuse," he said.

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