Minister of Economy Ivan Vrdoljak announced that there will be no new taxes in Croatia for the next few years.
At a lunch with members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia, Minister Ivan Vrdoljak announced that there will be no new taxes in Croatia in the coming years.
– Certainly not this year, and not in the foreseeable future. Property tax? I tell you that there will be no new taxes in the foreseeable future, including property tax – the minister responded to a journalist’s inquiry.
In his presentation to the chamber representatives, he outlined the government’s goals for the coming year. These include private and public investments, removing bureaucratic obstacles, and adopting an industrial strategy. Regarding investments in energy sources, the minister was exceptionally optimistic.
– If all the investments we outlined in this sector in 2017 are realized, Croatia will have enough electricity for its needs and will also be able to export it. Public investments are progressing, but we also need private investments. We must create all the prerequisites for them to happen – said Minister Vrdoljak.
He also referred to the statement of his predecessor in the government and president of his HNS party, Radimir Čačić, who announced that it would be good if GDP growth is 0.5 percent next year.
– We have set a target for growth of 1.8 percent, and I believe we will achieve it. The results of the investment promotion law will be visible next year. We currently have exceptionally valuable investments on hold, and once they are initiated, there will be a lot of work. I don’t like to throw around billions, but these are large investments. With this law, we have bypassed bureaucratic problems from other laws and thus facilitated investments – said Vrdoljak.
In an informal conversation with businesspeople, two topics were particularly interesting – the labor law and the previously mentioned investment law. Also present at the lunch was the American ambassador Kenneth Merten, who has been in Croatia for only six weeks. In such a short time, he recognized the problem of investors facing excessive bureaucracy but also praised the government for the beginning of reforms that need to continue.
