As Novac/Jozo Vrdoljak writes on the 7th of May, 2020, the third phase of easing the anti-coronavirus measures, which begins on May the 11th, will enable the operation of catering and hospitality facilities and only in outdoor areas and on terraces, while respecting the special epidemiological measures which continue to be firmly in place.
This is one of the reasons why the representatives of the catering and hospitality industry in the Professional Group of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), more precisely the Split County Chamber, decided to hold an online session. The session discussed tax burdens and levies, the lease of public areas and business premises owned by the state and by local self-government units, unfair competition, a moratorium on credit indebtedness and other issues of importance for the functioning of this type of business in the coronavirus era.
For each of the aforementioned topics, concrete proposals and ways of dealing with things were provided at the session, and it was agreed that, depending on the issue, the group would send letters with their proposals to various institutions. These included the City of Split, the Croatian Employment Service (CES), the State Inspectorate, and via the national association to the Croatian Chamber of Commerce itself, and then even further – to the appropriate ministries and to the Croatian Government.
“Until the current requirements for the operation of catering facilities are relaxed, I’m of the opinion that the vast majority of those working in this sector will have neither the conditions nor the motives to start working again,” said Ivan Malada.
Stipe Jelicic, Vice President of the Association of Catering/Hospitality Activities of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, informed his colleagues about the proposal for the measures for the catering and hospitality industry from the aforementioned national association and the course of the negotiations with the National Civil Protection Headquarters regarding those same proposals in the hope of reaching a fair and favourable solution that suits everyone.
The group pointed out the various issues and problems created by the situation with the coronavirus pandemic in the catering and hospitality industry and proposed some solutions to those issues. At the very beginning of the crisis, the group sent their proposals for what the measures should look like to the City of Split and to Split-Dalmatia County.
“Regarding the beginning of operations for those in the catering and hospitality industry under these specific conditions, we’ve suggested to the State Inspectorate that their actions be primarily educational and preventive, with the aim of pointing out omissions, and if there are minor mistakes, the allowance for them to be corrected. That’s why I’d like to invite those in this field to contact HGK ŽK Split directly if they have difficulties in organising their work in accordance with the decisions and instructions, in order to cooperate with the competent institutions in a constructive way to resolve misunderstandings and find solutions,” stated Joze Tomaš, president of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce – Split County Chamber.
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