ZAGREB, March 21, 2019 – Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Thursday, that while attempting to resolve the issue in Croatian shipyards, the government was taking into account the shipbuilding industry but also the effects that any of the measures could have on the fiscal consolidation policy, shipyard workers and regions where the docks are located.
“We are taking that branch of the economy into account, but we are also taking into account the overall effects on the fiscal consolidation policy and repercussions for the workers as well as the regional aspect of this issue,” Plenković said at the start of a cabinet meeting.
He said the government was considering all the scenarios and options by talking with the newly selected strategic partner, the management of the Uljanik Group, the ministries of the economy and finance and that it was trying to get a clear picture of implications of any decision that would be adopted in a foreseeable future.
Additional consultation includes talks with the European Commission, given a possible state support, Plenković said.
Members of Croatia’s ruling coalition at their meeting on Wednesday failed to decide on whether the Uljanik shipbuilding group would undergo restructuring or file for bankruptcy, delaying the decision for several days.
The head of the parliamentary group of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, Branko Bačić, said that the data presented showed that restructuring would cost slightly over a billion euro, while the cost of bankruptcy would be about 557 million euro. He said that they needed to see what Uljanik’s bankruptcy would mean for the Croatian shipbuilding industry and how it would affect supporting industries.
Members of Croatia’s ruling coalition at their meeting on Wednesday failed to decide on whether the Uljanik shipbuilding group would undergo restructuring or file for bankruptcy, delaying the decision for several days, the head of the parliamentary group of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, Branko Bačić, said. “We didn’t reach a final decision on restructuring or bankruptcy. We were presented with all the data and we gave ourselves a few more days,” Bačić told the press after the meeting.
More news about the shipbuilding industry can be found in the Business section.
