Horvat said he was therefore sure that industry and Croatia's economy in general had prospects but not so that the so-called socialist transition lasted 30 years which, he said, should finally end and profitability and productivity should become key economic categories.
He said the continuity of investments and efficient use of European funds brought new technology to Croatia which increased investment in research and development as well as export.
In the first quarter of 2019, Croatia recorded the biggest economic growth in five years, 3.9%, and that in Q1 2020, despite "the almost inactive" March, the economy went up 0.4% on the year.
Shorter work week targets production and manufacturing
Horvat said a shorter work week would target first and foremost production and manufacturing companies which lost orders.
The shorter work week measure is not horizontal but specific and, if justified and necessary, the government will cover one work day's costs for employers whose orders are either late or there are none, he said.
He said this measure required a close analysis and that it should be carefully prepared and modeled on "much tougher" economies than Croatia's.