Immediately after the president’s speech at the opening of the fair, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Damir Polančec commented. Reflecting on INA, Polančec reminded that the contracts and conditions for the sale of INA were agreed upon and signed in 2003, therefore they were signed by someone else, not me, Polančec responds.
We are now in a situation where we, as owners, have fallen below 50 percent ownership, and the five-year moratorium on the sale of shares expires in a month, he says. “The goal of the share exchange before the opening of the public offer was precisely to extend the period during which we would have an influence on the shares of INA, which are now owned by MOL,” he says, adding that the good thing in all of this is that the government has the right of first refusal on shares that will be on the market.
Polančec says that he can agree with some of Mesić’s statements, but for most of what was presented, a deeper understanding of the circumstances in the country is required. Polančec admits that the economic problems are deep and structural. The employment rate is only 57 percent, with only 1.39 employees per pensioner, which speaks volumes about the efficiency of the domestic economy. However, the notion in the speech about inflation is incorrect, as it is imported through energy and food prices, which are conditioned by numerous weather disasters, both here and globally. Corn today is no longer a grain but an energy source, claims Polančec.
