Agrokor heated up the atmosphere in the parliament again on Wednesday, as SDP member Gordan Maras pointed out how scandalous it is to relativize and justify the costs of consultants, while Branimir Bunjac (Živi zid) claimed that ‘lex Agrokor’ was not aimed at saving but rather handing over the company to someone, and Branko Bačić (HDZ) responded that we should wait for the situation regarding the payment of fees to consultants to be analyzed before a position is taken.
– It is scandalous that yesterday the Prime Minister, and today colleague Bačić, relativizes and justifies the costs that occurred in Agrokor and that a company with one or two employees earns 250,000 kuna. The Prime Minister still lacks the strength to react. This means he justifies it, said Maras after requesting a break.
He referred to Andrej Plenković’s government as the continuity of Ivo Sanader’s government, and mentioned that a consultant in Agrokor earns the same salary in one hour as a worker who runs from the counter to the cash register and back for a month.
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HDZ’s Branko Bačić insisted that the Law on Extraordinary Administration in Commercial Companies of systemic importance is a flawless and best executed intervention in the economy of any government.
When it comes to Plenković’s ‘guarantee card’, it is, in terms of the number of unfulfilled promises, stronger than Ivo Sanader’s guarantee card, said Maras. In this context, he recalled promises related to INA, the plaque in Jasenovac, VAT, curricular reform…
Member of Parliament Branimir Bunjac from Živi zid stated that ‘lex Agrokor’ was not aimed at saving but rather handing over the company to someone, and he claims that HDZ was the executor of that transaction.
– This was about a temporary solution and buying time to achieve a political, not a market settlement. It is quite clear that the settlement, if it is made, will be made against the will of the creditors and will cause lawsuits, and all will be borne by taxpayers, and as predicted, at least five billion kuna, claimed Bunjac.
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We have the right to doubt that Mr. Ramljak himself participated in writing that law so that he and interest groups, including the Prime Minister, could achieve financial gain, said Bunjac.
HDZ’s Branko Bačić insisted that the Law on Extraordinary Administration in Commercial Companies of systemic importance is a flawless and best executed intervention in the economy of any government.
– I reject all insinuations about the contentiousness of adopting that law. When adopting the law itself, we have countless times said that bankruptcy in 70 companies that are part of the Agrokor system would mean a financial collapse in Croatia given the significance of those companies to the Croatian economy, Bačić stated.
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The Law on Extraordinary Administration has, he emphasizes, enabled GDP growth, a record tourist season, and for Agrokor employees to continue receiving salaries.
– And the settlement will not be made against the will of the creditors because only the creditors’ council will adopt or reject the proposal for a settlement that the extraordinary administration will make, Bačić reminded.
Speaking about the payment of fees to consultants, he said that Prime Minister Plenković himself determined that from the analysis he received, it can be said that there is no violation of the law, but only the ethical aspect may be questionable.
– We will wait for him to analyze the situation regarding the payment of fees to consultants after which he will take a position on the issue of consultant costs in that company, emphasized Bačić.
