New activities in the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts this year, continuation of dialogue with the Government on Sunday work

The establishment of the Solidarity Fund and the implementation and development of vocational training are among the goals of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (HOK), which its president Dalibor Kratohvil spoke about on Wednesday. He presented to the media the activities realized by HOK last year and plans for this year, and besides him, the vice president of the Catering and Tourism Guild Hrvoje Margan, as well as the presidents of the accounting and fisheries and aquaculture guilds Đurđica Mostarčić and Stjepan Nedoklan also spoke about it.

Regarding the Solidarity Fund, Kratohvil stated that the goal of this project is to provide financial assistance to members to mitigate and partially remove the consequences of damage to property and/or adverse events occurring in Croatia, while for the implementation and development of vocational training, public authorities will be exercised, work on new regulations, and, as he emphasized, new curricula and the promotion of craft professions.

Among other planned activities of HOK this year, its leader announced that they will continue the dialogue with the Government on the topic of restrictions on Sunday work. The Catering and Tourism Guild will also continue the dialogue with the Ministry of Health for the simplification of issuing hygiene minimum permits and with the Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy regarding the possibility of introducing occasional and temporary employment based on the example of vignette in agriculture, which they expect could be realized this year. The vice president of that guild, Hrvoje Margan, stated that the hospitality sector in Croatia will need 80,000 workers this year and that one of the goals will be to create a program proposal for the education of hospitality workers for those coming from abroad.

– We will seek 13 percent VAT for all our services – said Margan.

One of the more interesting initiatives of HOK is obtaining additional quantities of wood raw materials for craftsmen based on a public call from Croatian Forests, which was agreed upon at a meeting organized by the Ministry of Agriculture. The call is announced for spring 2024.

Elimination of the black market

Regarding the Construction Guild, after a series of letters and meetings, amendments to the Construction Act were announced, which should resolve the issue of conducting works on IIIb category facilities, which implies continuing the dialogue and working on joint solutions.

The president of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Guild, Nedoklan, stated that HOK will persist in eliminating the black market by proposing the introduction of a fish catch record. Namely, as he stated, in sport and recreational fishing, it is estimated that the same amount of fish is caught as in professional fishing.

The president of the Accountants Guild, Mostarčić, stated that half of the active accountants will retire in the next 15 years, announcing demands to the Government for raising the threshold for entering the VAT system as well as amendments to existing laws and regulations.

Kratohvil also announced the adoption of the Transport Contracts Act, which would create a legislative prerequisite for further addressing this issue, which implies continuing the dialogue and working on joint solutions. The Hairdressers and Beauticians Guild is also preparing a proposal for changing (modernizing) the master exam. The Florists Section plans a Florists Forum and a national competition this year, where a representative will be chosen to participate in the European Florists Championship 2025 in the Netherlands.

In addition, HOK will continue to seek for Croatian crafts the continuation of assistance measures in terms of limiting energy prices, as well as tax relief wherever possible. Furthermore, he added, they will seek increased controls of unregistered activities, as well as intense and active engagement of all involved in adapting the education system to market needs.

– We will continue to strengthen our services for our craftsmen so that they can receive all the necessary help and support in their House. Craftsmanship is strong and resilient, now it is about more than 112,000 crafts, which is a growth of 9.8 percent or 10,000 crafts in one year, and it is our honor and responsibility to represent the interests of each of them – emphasized the president of HOK, Dalibor Kratohvil.

HOK will continue to promote the representation of domestic craftsmen at domestic and international fairs this year – co-financing of craftsmen’s participation in two international fairs, 12 regional, and three specialized fairs is planned.

Numerous activities

Summarizing what has been done in the past year, Kratohvil presented a strengthened guild system, the number of members in guilds and sections who actively contribute to improving their activities has increased, with a significant role played by professional events where solutions to problems are defined and addressed to the relevant institutions.

Thus, last year, the traditional Congress of Caterers and Tourism Workers, the Fishermen’s Meeting, and the 1st Accountants’ Meeting were held, and the Crafts Focus was also initiated – a series of panels on current issues in craftsmanship where problems will be addressed and solutions sought this year. This year, even more professional events important for the advancement of the profession are planned – in addition to those mentioned, the Congress of Caterers and meetings of fishermen and accountants, the 3rd Florists Forum and a florists’ competition, the Day of Hairdressers and Beauticians of HOK titled Masters of Beauty 2024, and meetings of transporters, builders, and traders are planned.

In the past year, along with continuous advisory support to craftsmen – 2,500 written responses and approximately 50 simpler telephone responses daily – comments were provided on 34 legal regulations to improve the business environment for craftsmen. In the implementation of HOK’s public authorities, among other things, 771 master exams, 770 professional competence exams, and 241 exams in basic knowledge for teaching apprentices were conducted. Additionally, the participation of more than 600 craftsmen at 18 fairs was co-financed, amounting to 120,000 euros. This year, working on new curricula with the Ministry of Economy will be extremely important to ensure that the education system meets market needs.