ZAGREB, April 26, 2019 – Addressing a special session of Karlovac County Assembly on County Day on Friday, President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović said that the most significant measure at the moment needs to be “reforming our mentality,” in order to make the Croatians think and work faster, more resolutely and in a better organised manner.
In her speech the president advocated that each measure, including tax, monetary or any other policy and each investment, has to be measurable demographically and in particular in this county.
She praised the Andrej Plenković cabinet for reducing taxes and administration levies, however, she claimed that the “most significant reform we need to implement is to reform our mentality,” so that at all levels, we can think and work more resolutely, faster and in a more organised manner.
The head of state pointed out that population policy and economic measures must go hand in hand because money is needed for new investments – and people are needed even more.
“People are our greatest capital, but also the greatest issue, as we have no workers to hire for new jobs,” the president said.
She emphasized that for Karlovac County this matter is particularly important in terms of security and in the context of migration issues.
“Keeping the border areas populated is of utmost importance for the State because the border is best guarded by the people who live on it,” she underscored.
Plenković commented on a list of projects for the county valued at 5.5 billion kuna, adding that state-owned real estate, estimated at 64 million kuna, had been granted to the county.
He noted already visible effects of the reform, as he said, in particular, decentralisation which means that 56 million kuna more will remain in the county. He underscored that a new development index is being applied and that new statistical regions will be formed to correct the injustice and illogicality of the previous system toward areas such as the town of Slunj for example.
“I think that it will correct the injustice that that will be a much better support to the economy in those parts of Croatia that we want to attract investments to, which should be a big step. That is why I am glad that Karlovac County has sped up procedures for investors,” the prime minister underscored.
He added that in 2017, 2018 and now in 2019, 1.3 billion kuna had been secured from the state budget for regional imbalance policies and for the reduction of inequalities in Croatia.
More news about President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović can be found in the Politics section.
