ZAGREB, June 19, 2020 – Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts Darko Horvat said on Friday that Croatia could not allow another lockdown similar to the one in the past three months as there were no financial resources for that nor would the state budget be able to withstand it.
“In mid-February when that threat migrated to Croatia I said: Smartly, intelligently and patiently! Certain categories of Croatian society should perhaps be moved away in a slightly different way, intelligently and smartly, from the threat called coronavirus,” Horvat said commenting on the increased number of new cases of COVID-19.
He underscored that care needs to be taken especially of children in kindergartens, schools and the elderly in aged care facilities.
“I am certain that the past three to four months have taught us how to use disinfectants, how to keep social distance and perhaps by applying these measures a little more radically, we can provide an opportunity for the economy to function even with the threat of coronavirus and for the state budget to be filled at a certain rate,” he said.
Horvat added that public services have to continue functioning regardless of the threat that affects not only Croatia but the entire neighbourhood and that caution is required to prevent any hotspot being transferred to Croatia.
Horvat also commented on the incumbent government’s achievements.
“At the start of our term we aimed to reach the level of investments of one percent of total GDP. We have surpassed that figure a little. We are going for a new term. We are seeking the trust of Croatian citizens and… we want to end this term at the European average of investments in research and development of about 2.5% of GDP,” he said.
