One of the priorities is for hundreds of thousands of young expats to return to Croatia, the association underscored.
Croatian Exporters said that they welcomed the 2021-2026 draft national plan, aimed at strengthening economic and social resilience of the Croatia economy, that is, “mitigating the social and economic impacts of the crisis and contributing to the green and digital transition”, because many of the recommendations and requests they had been sending to the government in recent years had been partially taken into account.
However, they warn that there are some questions and doubts about the planned allocation of funds for the national plan’s components, 54% of which should be earmarked for the economy.
“Have key performance indicators been defined, analyses conducted and effects of planned projects on long-term sustainable and harmonised growth and development of Croatia quantified? (…) Planned investments covered by the National Plan will certainly increased Croatia’s GDP in the next six to eight years, but we doubt whether it will increase the long-term GDP growth rate,” Croatian Exporters said in the review they sent to the government.
They are also under the impression that the domestic production and export processing industry has been neglected in the national plan.
“Digitalisation and the green economy… won’t be sufficient drivers for a big step forward in the development and progress of the domestic industry. At the same time… projects aimed at infrastructure, energy, construction and tourism won’t contribute to a significant improvement in the poor structure of the Croatian economy,” the exporters’ association said.
They also consider that it is necessary to define criteria that will protect the domestic economy.
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