Zvonimir Mršić: Instead of five economic ministries, we need a ministry of development

Former mayor of Koprivnica, president of the management board of Podravka, and one of the advisors to Agrokor during the largest restructuring in Croatian history Zvonimir Mršić has a new major project ahead of him. He has decided to utilize his thirty years of work experience in the public and private sectors to design the SDP’s economic program for the upcoming elections. We spoke with him about solutions for exiting this unpleasant economic situation, plans for improving the investment climate, and political future.

Why did you return to politics?

– I have not returned to politics. I want to use the knowledge and experience I have gained, primarily in the private sector, to help define new goals, tools, measures, and strategies to elevate Croatia to a new level. My drive is not a struggle for a political position, but to influence the changes for which the moment has come.

You will not be on the list for the Parliament, but you have not denied the possibility that you will be in the next government.

– I am not discussing this with anyone, only my proposals for the SDP’s economic program. We have proposals for improving the system, the business model of the state, and the services it provides. After all, Croatia does not need more than ten ministers alongside the Prime Minister. Currently, more than five ministries are dealing with the economy as if we are an economic superpower.

How would you form them, would you put everything under the Ministry of Economy?

– We can call it the Ministry of Development or the Ministry of Economic Prosperity. It makes no sense to have five ministries whose scope of work is equal to that of a member of the management board of a multinational company, not to mention what their results are.

Which growth generators do you intend to rely on the most to exit the crisis?

– We will increase personal consumption by raising the non-taxable part of personal income from four to five thousand kuna. We need to maintain state spending by saving on public administration and reallocating those funds to healthcare and education, where we must invest. The reconstruction of Zagreb should contribute two to three percent to GDP growth, and a similar amount should come from seven billion unused kuna from EU funds. Additionally, public investments must become more productive. One of the SDP’s ambitions is to provide 10,000 new beds in student housing and 10,000 beds in nursing homes, as well as 100,000 solar roofs. Then there is exports. Last year, the value of commodity exports amounted to 114 billion kuna. Our ambition is to turn that 114 into 150 billion kuna in four years, which contributes to strengthening competitiveness in both domestic and foreign markets, visibility, and expanding the business network.

And what does Mršić say about the SDP’s economic program, what is his estimate of how many citizens will need help to survive, and how many thousands of years of working hours could be freed up through digital transformation can be read in the new digital and printed edition of Lider. 

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