News: Family Farms Can Also Use Support for Newly Employed

The Ministry of Agriculture reported on Wednesday that family farms (OPG) can also use financial support for newly employed individuals, and this support lasts for the first 12 months of employment.

OPGs have been added to the list of entities that can use financial support for newly employed individuals from the Active Employment Policy Measures Program of the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ). Namely, the Management Board of HZZ adopted an amendment to the Conditions and Methods of Using Funds for the Implementation of Active Employment Policy Measures in 2018, as stated by the Ministry.

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– The adopted amendments state that an OPG without employees, if it is in the profit tax or income tax system, can use employment support for one person on the condition that the holder of the OPG is registered for mandatory pension and health insurance as a craftsman/owner of the OPG, and must not be registered as an employee with another employer, the Ministry of Agriculture emphasizes.

The decision to encourage employment in family farms at HZZ is explained by the fact that – if there is already an exemption for crafts and self-employed activities that do not have employees to still employ one person with support if the owner is registered for pension and health insurance, there is no reason why the same bonus should not be allowed for family farms. The motivation for this shift in their previous practice is the increasingly pronounced interest in using employment support and that space should also be opened for agriculture, the Ministry emphasizes.

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They add that the owner of the OPG submits the application for co-financing employment to the nearest regional/local office or branch of HZZ.

Within 10 days of receiving the application with the complete prescribed documentation, HZZ is obliged to assess whether it is acceptable for the approval of support and to inform the applicant about it. The contract for the allocation of funds can be signed within 8 days from the date of notification of a positive assessment for the specific application, with the obligation to previously submit the employment contract for the position for the co-financed person as well as other necessary documentation. The right to this support lasts for the first 12 months of employment, concludes the Ministry of Agriculture’s statement.