The Ministry of Economy will begin the intensive implementation of its programs immediately after the adoption of the state budget, said Minister of Economy Tomislav Panenić on Friday, who discussed the state of the economy of the Vukovar-Srijem County with entrepreneurs and county leaders in Vukovar.
“On Monday we will have the budget vote and after that we can finally start fully implementing the program,” Panenić said in a statement to reporters, noting that one of the most significant projects awaiting realization in Vukovar-Srijem County is the continuation of the construction of the Vukovar port.
According to County Prefect Boža Galić, investments in Vukovar-Srijem County have been stagnant for a long time. “There are no new jobs or investments, not even in state-owned companies. Young people are leaving, and the county is slowly emptying,” he stated, adding that the county is particularly interested in the Vukovar port project with the economic zone and logistics centers, as well as the final resolution of the fate of Vukovar’s Borovo.
According to data from the Croatian Chamber of Commerce – Vukovar County Chamber, approximately 1,600 entrepreneurs operate in the Vukovar-Srijem County, of which 8 are large, 35 are medium, and 1,544 are small. The number of employees in companies in Vukovar-Srijem County decreased from 16,327 in 2013 to 16,196 in 2014, or by 0.8 percent.
In 2014, companies achieved a total revenue of 12.6 billion kuna, which is 25.5 percent higher than the previous year. At the same time, total expenses amounted to 12.6 billion kuna and were 25.9 percent higher than the previous year. In Vukovar-Srijem County, 1,111 companies reported a profit in 2014. Company investments in new fixed assets decreased by more than 50 percent compared to 2013.
