As part of the e-Citizens system, an application for online registration of crafts, e-craft, was launched on Wednesday, through which current and future craftsmen can submit an application for establishing a craft or register status changes.
The Minister of Entrepreneurship and Crafts, Gordan Maras, stated that craftsmen were previously exempted from paying the craft fee, which is a cost of about 200 kuna, and now the total cost for opening a craft is a fee of 270 kuna. However, he emphasized that the intention is to exempt all e-applications from any fees in the coming months, not only for craftsmen but also for entrepreneurs, who would thus be able to establish commercial companies for free.
He also mentioned that this is one of a series of measures to help craftsmen operate more simply and cheaply, and reminded that the threshold for entering the VAT system has been raised, which has led about 40,000 craftsmen to exit that system, as well as the decision that craftsmen and small entrepreneurs with an annual turnover of less than 3 million kuna pay VAT upon receipt of their service or product.
To support the development of craftsmanship, Maras added, the Ministry also assists through co-financing the taking of master exams, covering 80 percent of that cost, as well as through scholarships for students who choose education in deficit occupations. Currently, about 1,200 students receive a scholarship of 750 kuna, and the plan is to include all those who are educated for those occupations, about 5,000 students, said Maras. Thus, at the ceremony presenting the application, about 40 decisions on co-financing master exams were handed out, including to Goran Kobelja, who opened the first e-craft in Croatia at the ceremony. Maras emphasized that this is a historic moment, which is why he ‘donated’ the last paper craft certificate to Miroslav Gašparović, the director of the Museum of Arts and Crafts, where the ceremony was held.
