Croatia ‘is in deep water’ – and three months after the protests organized by the Croatian Trade Union Association (HUS), all negative trends that led to the protests continue, warned the president of HUS, Ozren Matijašević, today.
GDP, industrial production, employment, retail trade, liquidity, profits, etc., continue to decline, and the introduction of a crisis tax and an increase in VAT directly affect the drop in consumption and economic activities, as well as increase job losses, Matijašević assessed at a press conference.
After recent statements by Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and the new Minister of Economy Đuro Popijača, it is clear that there will be no necessary cuts and reductions in costs in the state and public sectors, as the only goal of the ruling party is to ‘stay in their chairs’, claims Matijašević.
According to the adopted state budget for 2010, it is evident that no significant changes in economic policy and administrative reform should be expected, and the budget will have to go for a rebalancing in the first quarter anyway. The only positive shift, the beginning of a crackdown on crime and corruption, is unfortunately more of an appearance than real action, as its reach stops at the recipients of orders, while the real movers remain untouchable.
