More than 44 percent of Croatians have a negative attitude to entrepreneurs, but almost 65 percent of them see entrepreneurs as the only solution to the current economic crisis, with a better business climate being a condition of economic recovery and progress of the entire society, it was said at Entrepreneurs' Day, a traditional meeting of business people organised by the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) in Zagreb on Wednesday.
A survey on the public's perception of the business community in Croatia shows that 44.6 percent of Croatians have a negative attitude to entrepreneurs, while only slightly more than 25 percent have a positive attitude, HUP president Davor Majetic said at a round table discussion at the event.
Citizens blame the anti-entrepreneurial climate on all Croatian governments, namely their failure to understand employers' needs (26.3% of the respondents think so), on poor legislation and inefficient judiciary (21.9%), an inefficient state administration (11.3%), and on bad business decisions and bad conduct of business people (11.2%).
If they could choose, the respondents would opt for employment in a state/public company (26.4%) or in public administration (18%).
Close to 65% percent of the respondents see business people as the only solution to the current crisis, which shows that they do understand that business people operate in unfavourable conditions and that only they can revive the economy and create new jobs, said Majetic.
That requires a closer social dialogue and consensus of all social partners on key reforms in the economy and society, said Majetic.
Velimir Sonje of Arhivanalitika said Croatian entrepreneurs have the potential to kick-start the economy because in terms of efficiency and competitiveness they are as good as their competition in the EU.
The private sector is not lagging behind the foreign competition in terms of work and productivity, but a stronger economic growth is obstructed by the inefficiency of the public sector, an insufficiently good education system and inadequate efficiency of institutions that should support business, Sonje said, adding that those were the parts of the system that had to be reformed.
The first step in improving the business and investment climate is the strengthening of social dialogue, to be accompanied by reforms in the state and public sectors with the aim of increasing efficiency and providing quality support to business people, it was said at the round table discussion.
Kresimir Sever of the Independent Croatian Trade Unions (NHS) warned that the government was shunning social dialogue, adding that the Economic and Social Council (GSV) should not serve for the social partners agreeing to the government's proposals.
"The GSV is necessary, but the wish to do things quickly has caused some steps to be skipped," Economy Minister Radimir Cacic said, adding that such things would not happen again.
He also noted that some trade unions were acting as if they were politicians or managers, mentioning in that context the case of a trade union in the power supplier HEP, which had announced but later abandoned its plan to sign a petition against the latest electricity price hikes.
"They are against a measure that will increase HEP's revenues by 20 percent and stabilise its operation. Instead of acting as a trade union, they want to be politicians, managers," said Cacic, underlining that the government was doing its best to improve the economic situation but that it could not be changed overnight.
