The Zagreb Chamber of Crafts (OKZ) today celebrated 15 years of operation and awarded recognitions to deserving craftsmen and individuals who contribute to the preservation and development of craftsmanship, as well as 120 master diplomas to masters who successfully passed the master exam.
OKZ brings together 24,000 craftsmen, organized into 15 associations, and craftsmen from the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County account for 23 percent of total Croatian craftsmanship, emphasized the president of the Zagreb Chamber of Crafts, Ivan Obad. He pointed out the most important problems burdening craftsmanship, including illiquidity, excessive imports, inadequate and insufficient sources of financing for craft projects, and the gray economy. Obad stated that all knowledge and skills need to be directed towards selectively solving problems, such as the issue of resolving business premises.
He also reminded that the initiative for the construction of the Crafts Center has been recognized in the City of Zagreb, and in cooperation with the Association of Architects, a public competition has been announced, with a concrete conceptual solution expected in about 40 days, based on which the design of the Center will begin. The president of the Croatian Chamber of Crafts (HOK), Mato Topić, stated that in these crisis times, difficulties can only be overcome through unity, and that HOK will continue to tackle the gray economy and do everything possible to preserve craftsmanship. The Mayor of Zagreb, Milan Bandić, congratulated the award recipients and master diploma holders, stating that their golden hands and master ‘click’ will certainly help overcome the crisis that has also affected craftsmanship. The Zagreb Chamber of Crafts was also awarded a plaque from HKG-Chambers Zagreb for previous cooperation. (H)
