ZAGREB, January 3, 2019 – Environment and Energy Minister Tomislav Ćorić said on Thursday, while commenting on the business transformation of the INA oil company, that the government was insisting that as many Sisak oil refinery workers as possible should be retained.
He dismissed claims that he and State Assets Minister Goran Maric disagreed on the issue of the Sisak refinery.
“What Minister Marić said in 2016 and what we have been saying all long is that INA should be a vertically integrated company. We believe that modernisation of INA’s refining business has no alternative and an investment of between 3.5 and 4 billion kuna that will be made in that regard is necessary,” Ćorić told the press outside the government headquarters.
“There are no differences of opinion between us. It was necessary to insist on maintaining employment in Sisak-Moslavina County. Marić’s statement should be viewed in a wider context. The question of the refining business in 2016 and in 2018 is not the same,” he added.
Marić said in 2016 that he would not allow the closure of the Sisak oil refinery because of its importance for the local economy. “I would sooner leave politics than allow its closure,” he said then.
Under its business plan for 2019, INA will concentrate its oil refining business at the Rijeka refinery, while the Sisak refinery will be converted into an industrial centre focusing on other activities.
Ćorić said that the Sisak plant was currently operating at about 30 percent of its capacity, while the Rijeka refinery was operating at 70 percent. “Croatia needs INA as a strong energy company. It needs an efficient and successful INA that will be competitive and profitable,” he added.
Asked what would happen with workers at Sisak as part of INA’s business transformation, Ćorić recalled the conclusions of the business plan adopted at the end of last year, under which between 40 and 50 percent of workers at Sisak would remain in the plants that would continue operating.
As for the rest of the workers, a comprehensive redundancy programme has been prepared by the management and they will also have an option of working in other business areas of INA, the minister said.
More news on the INA oil company can be found in our Business section.
