International business organisations' measures for business climate improvement

International business organisations in Croatia, among them Nordic Chamber of Commerce, proposed five measures for the Croatian business climate improvement at the press conference on Friday, 19 April 2013, at the Hotel Esplanade.

An initiative for Croatian business climate improvement started in autumn 2012 by international business organisations, which are in charge of the commercial cooperation between entrepreneurs and investors from the respective countries and the Republic of Croatia. More information about the document on the business climate initiative is available in the following link.  

These organisations are: American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia, Austrian Trade Commission, British-Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Canadian-Croatian Business Network, Consultative Committee of the Italian Entrepreneurship in Croatia, German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Nordic Chamber of Commerce in Croatia

The group of seven represents around 1500 companies, or around 50% of foreign direct investment in Croatia. Together they have identified five measures, which could fast and without major financial and structural changes improve the business climate and help the economical growth and creation of new jobs.

The proposed measures for business climate improvement are:

1. Legally Binding Tax Opinions

2. Public Procurement Auctions Online

3. Deadlines for Permit Decisions

4. Improved Regulations

5. Reduced Parafiscal Fees

The above measures were addressed to the competent Ministries. Apart from the presented measures the organisations have also identified, in contact with their member companies, a number of investment friendly local administrations, among which Koprivnica, Prelog and Varaždin provide an example of investment friendly communities. Furthermore, the organisations welcome the establishment of Agency for investment and competitiveness as the body that will contribute to faster and more efficient investments.

The press release from the press conference please find here.

Representatives of international business organisations in the picture above from left to right: Andrea Doko-Jelušić, American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia, Zrinka Božić, German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Roman Rauch, Austrian Trade Commission, Igor Bošković, British-Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Gordana Fuštar, Nordic Chamber of Commerce, Tana Maroević and Vesna Krmpotić Baljak, Italian Institute for Foreign Trade. Photo by Nenad Dugi / Cropix