Successful investments are a long-term process

– Part of the companies is over-indebted, and this needs to be addressed by encouraging equity investments. If we increased equity and quasi-equity by about 3 billion kuna, banks could finance new investments through financial leverage.

This was stated by  Zdenko Adrović, director of the Croatian Banking Association and member of the expert committee Lider invest during his presentation titled ’How to (co)finance investment projects’ at the continuation of the Investment Forum of Northwestern Croatia. At the first round table, the discussion focused on how to create a stimulating environment for investments despite all obstacles, with participation from Supreme Court judge Damir Kontrec, the mayor of Varaždin Goran Habuš, as well as Čedomil Cesarec and Zdenko Adrović.

– Croatia is not recognized as a country for investments. The biggest obstacle is, of course, regulations. Our workforce is at the level of Germany, but due to the aforementioned problems, investors are fleeing from here – noted Cesarec. Habuš emphasized during the panel that the city administration should act as a service, not as if they are deities on earth. The mayor of Varaždin also explained how the quality of life in a certain city, or lifestyle, can today attract or repel investors. Kontrec, on the other hand, stated that the judiciary is often unjustly under attack from the public.

– People go to court for every little thing. We simply have too many court proceedings for the number of judges we have. There is no talk about the cases we successfully conclude, only about those we haven’t managed to resolve – Kontrec stated.

At the second round table, successful examples that managed to initiate new production investments were discussed, with participation from Tomislav Cvetko, director of Oprema uređaja, Senko Judin, director of CWS Boca, Damir Kirić, president of the Management Board of GUMIIPEX-GRP, and Josip Križanić, director of the Veterinary Station Varaždin. Judin stated that investment is not a one-time story, but a project lasting several years, Cvetko believes that today investments primarily serve to preserve jobs, while Kirić complained that Croatian laws change too quickly for investors to adapt to them. Križanić was the most critical.

– Imports have killed small livestock farmers. We have the best pigs in the world, we have invested in the best technology, and we are barely surviving due to the import lobby – concluded MP Križanić.