Plinacro gas company CEO Mladen Antunovic on Tuesday resigned due to the poor functioning of the management board, the poor perception the company has in the public, despite the positive results under his management.
Plinacro has recorded an above average successful year but a negative image has emerged in the public about the company, Antunovic told a press conference he convened on Tuesday.
He added that due to the poor functioning of the management board and the poor perception in the public and that he did not wish to be a burden to the Croatian People's Party (HNS) and ruling coalition government, he had decided to resign.
Antunovic who is a member of this junior coalition partner said that he did not wish to burden the HNS and the ruling coalition.
He added that he had come to the decision of his own accord and that he was not aware that the senior coalition partner in government, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic had asked that he step down.
Prior to announcing his resignation, Antunovic reported that in 2012 Plinacro generated a profit of HRK 74 million, up 20% from 2011.
He considers his greatest achievement to be a contract signed with the Russian Gazprom regulating the construction of the Southern Stream gas pipeline toward Croatia as well as successful negotiations with an Azerbaijani company for gas supplies and that part of the company's gas exports transit through Croatia, as well as other successful projects.
Asked by reporters if he had advised the company's chairman, Economy Minister Ivan Vrdoljak of his decision, Antunovic said that he would submit his letter of resignation immediately following the press conference.
Minister Vrdoljak said that Antunovic was not leaving because he had done something outside the law but that he did not provide good results concerning investments and that the management board was not functioning well together.
Speaking to the press in the government building after the news of Antunovic's resignation, Vrdoljak underscored that Antunovic was not leaving because he had employed the Construction Minister Anka Mrak Taritas' husband.
Vrdoljak said that he had requested all state-run companies to submit their 2012 business reports and that he was not satisfied with the level of investments realised by Plinacro and that the management board was not functioning as it should be.
