ZAGREB, September 28, 2018 - Even though it welcomed the planned reduction of the standard VAT rate for some food products, the parliamentary opposition on Thursday criticised the government's tax reform proposal, saying that the planned tax cuts were too small and would not be felt by the poorest citizens.

ZAGREB, September 27, 2018 - Finance Minister Zdravko Marić said in parliament on Thursday the point of the tax reform was a simpler, more transparent and more just tax system which would benefit entrepreneurs, investors and taxpayers, but the opposition vehemently called him out. "This is the third round of a single tax reform," he said, adding that the reform was launched because of a high public debt.

ZAGREB, September 26, 2018 - Finance Minister Zdravko Marić said on Wednesday that the government's tax changes would reduce, over a period of three years, the tax burden on citizens and businesses in the amount of some 6.3 billion kuna, and that given that there was no tax change that could increase the net income for citizens with below-average wages, he was proposing expanding the scope of products to be taxed by a lower, 13% VAT rate.

ZAGREB, September 21, 2018 - In 2016, Croatia was among the three most successful EU countries in terms of VAT collection, along with Luxembourg and Sweden, shows a study published by the European Commission on Friday.

ZAGREB, September 20, 2018 - The government on Thursday forwarded amendments to nine tax laws to parliament, including the VAT Act which should enable the easing of tax burden as of the start of 2019, and the effects of these changes are estimated at 1.4 billion kuna by expanding the lower VAT rate of 13%.

ZAGREB, September 14, 2018 - During a government meeting in Pula on Thursday, Finance Minister Zdravko Marić reported that in the first six months of the year the central government generated a budget surplus of 1.6 billion kuna, assessing this as a good result in line with what was achieved last year.

ZAGREB, September 5, 2018 - Finance Minister Zdravko Marić said on Wednesday that it was most likely that guarantees issued to the Uljanik and 3. Maj shipyards, which are part of the Uljanik Group, would be activated and that they amounted to almost 70 million euro.

ZAGREB, September 1, 2018 - Finance Minister Zdravko Marić told Večernji List on Saturday that the state budget would withstand the payment of costs related to the ailing Uljanik shipbuilding group and the Petrokemija artificial fertiliser producer and that there would be no corrections on its revenue side or an increase in taxes, however, he did call for long-term solutions "so that we stop financing and salvaging always the same loss-making companies."

The ex Agrokor boss and current fugitive in London gave an interview to Dnevnik Nove TV ahead of the British ruling on his extradition to Croatia to face trial.

Uljanik's workers' strike will have an important role to play in the direction of the unfolding crisis - either by means of bankruptcy or by some sort of controlled settlement.