At the end of November, nearly 44 thousand companies and 324 thousand citizens in blockade

At the end of November, there were 43,769 blocked business entities in Croatia with 25.45 billion kuna in unpaid payment obligations, as well as 324,350 citizens with debts amounting to 36.33 billion kuna.

Data from Fina shows that compared to October, the number of citizens with blocked accounts in November last year increased by 463, or 0.14 percent, while their total debts simultaneously grew by about 530 million kuna or 1.5 percent. Year-on-year, compared to November 2014, the number of blocked citizens increased by 3,430 or 1.06 percent, and their total debts in the same period rose by as much as 20.5 percent, or nearly 6.2 billion kuna.

In the case of business entities, there is a recorded increase in the number of blocked entities, but a decrease in the amount of unpaid payment obligations on a monthly basis – compared to October, the number of business entities with blocked accounts increased by 1,060 or 2.5 percent, but their total debts simultaneously decreased by 0.8 percent, or approximately 200 million kuna. Only based on the initiation of pre-bankruptcy proceedings, Fina emphasizes, the amount of reported unpaid payment obligations in November last year decreased by more than 236 million kuna, and the number of debtors decreased by 71.

On a year-on-year basis, compared to November 2014, there were 8,310 or 16 percent fewer blocked business entities in November last year, and the amount of their unpaid debts decreased by 14.8 percent or more than 4.4 billion kuna.

Among the blocked business entities in November last year, those in long-term blockade, longer than 360 days, dominated both in number and in the amount of blockade. In long-term blockade, at the end of that month, there were 32,289 entities, which represents a share of 73.8 percent of the total number of companies with blocked accounts, and these business entities account for 85.2 percent of the total debt, or 21.67 billion kuna. Furthermore, more than two-thirds of blocked business entities, or 29,207, have no employees, and the debts of such companies, amounting to 17.4 billion kuna, make up 68.5 percent of the total amount of unpaid payment obligations at the end of last November.

Of the total 43,769 blocked business entities, with a total of 30,384 employees, just over half are legal entities, but they account for the largest part of the total amount of unpaid payment obligations, 72.2 percent. At the end of November, there were 22,232 legal entities in blockade, with a total of 18,704 employees and debts amounting to more than 18.3 billion kuna. At the same time, the accounts of 21,537 individuals, i.e., craftsmen and freelancers, were also blocked, and their unpaid obligations amounted to 7.08 billion kuna. Among the blocked individuals, there were 11,680 employees at the end of November.