Pesja in Omišalj Becomes First Fully Transparent Public Company in Croatia

Index.hr reports that from today, it will be possible to see all payments from the business account of KD Pesja d.o.o.

Pesja, founded by the Municipality of Omišalj, becomes the first utility company in Croatia that will provide citizens with insight into every transaction, i.e., payments to legal entities and individuals, providing citizens with their work and all data on how public money is spent. 

Pesja thus sets an example to other utility companies, but also to other institutions established by regional and local self-government units which, by introducing transparency, prevent corrupt actions and inefficient spending of public money.

Mirela Ahmetović, the mayor of Omišalj, says that she is proud that in the fight against corruption in Croatia, the utility company from her municipality is introducing full transparency.

“The municipality of Omišalj continues to introduce full transparency of public money and sets an example to all other local governments to act in the same way to be one step closer to combating corruption that eats away at Croatian society. We were the first municipality to show every penny of taxpayers’ money completely and without hidden intentions. 

No matter how small the Municipality of Omišalj is in the eyes of the rest of the country, we have shown by our example that even the smallest can become an example to the biggest and that we do not give up on a better and fairer system that serves only those who pay – citizens.

We are proud to be the first in Croatia in the fight against corruption. Pesja is the first utility company in the Republic of Croatia to show all its costs fully. Also, we will introduce transparency in the Municipality of Omišalj Tourist Board and thus complete this story. We will show the citizens how the public money of all companies and organizations established by the Municipality of Omišalj is spent.

It is a way to fight corruption at all levels and a clear message to all residents of the municipality of Omišalj that their money is safe and that no one should betray their trust. I want the whole of Croatia, all local self-government units, and especially state administration bodies and public companies to take such a position. I am convinced that Croatia would become a happier and better country with this political decision,” she said.

Goran Ivandić, director of KD Pesja, emphasizes the hope that their example will be followed by other companies, institutions, and other entities.

“By introducing a system for transparency in our utility company, all payments from our business account are visible. Considering that the largest part of the income comes from the provision of communal services that we contractually perform for the Municipality of Omišalj, we use the link on our website to transparently provide insight into taxpayers’ spending money. Thus, Pesja became the first company to decide on this step of full transparency. Still, we hope that our example will be followed by other companies, institutions, and all other entities financed from the budget to increase their responsibility to citizens and reduce the possibility for corruption,” Ivandic said.

Famous economist Vuk Vukovic praised the Municipality of Omišalj.

“Once again, the Municipality of Omišalj is in the right light because soon after full transparency of its own budget, it started to include all other legal entities under its jurisdiction. Thus, it was the turn of the utility company Pesja d.o.o., the first in Croatia to present absolutely all the costs of their expenses. It is important to note the importance of this move.

So far, we have had only a few examples of complete transparency of the budgets of cities and municipalities, and in some places, presentations of public procurement of public companies. Pesja is the first public company in Croatia to show those costs that do not pass public procurement, i.e., which are below the procurement threshold, as well as all salaries of employees who gave their GDPR consent, also in the desire for full transparency and who really do not have what to hide.

As with the Municipality itself, citizens will be able to view each cost, each contract, and all employees’ salaries via a link on the website, which puts the business of this public company under the watchful eye of the public. Pesja and Omišalj are now becoming an example to the rest of Croatia of how to approach full transparency projects,” Vukovic said.

To read more about business in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

 

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