We are all budget losers because of the coronavirus crisis because Covid has significantly reduced budget revenue, Finance Minister Zdravko Maric said on Thursday.

Asked who the biggest losers were following this the latest budget revision this year, Maric said that “we are all losers,” considering that “corona” knocked out HRK 20 billion in revenue.

However, he added that the government’s public finance policy prior to the pandemic “created room for the budget to successfully react,” in those circumstances.

Maric announced the continuation of talks with unions on the dynamics of wage increases in public services. He reiterated that the government is not proposing a reduction in wages, which, as he said, will depend on the outcome of negotiations.

Asked whether citizens’ fear of gathering in groups due to coronavirus had affected the reduction in fiscal receipts, Maric said that figures for October were a little better than those in September.

According to Maric, figures for tourism and hospitality in October were at 60% of last year’s fiscalised turnover whereas in September they were a little under that. Retail is “doing well” while industry is doing “relatively” well, he said.