The Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) on Thursday warned that employers were faced with permanently rising costs, underscoring that the expenses for the implementation of coronavirus prevention measures are HRK 1,300 per employee, which is why they called for more assistance.

HUP says in a press release issued on Thursday that the employers demand some urgent measures, including lowering Value Added Tax on protective equipment and all other related essentials to reinforce anti-COVID protection.

HUP conducted a survey among its members about the costs for providing workers with protective masks and other protective equipment and to set up physical barriers and procuring disinfectants.

The survey covering employers who have 42,000 workers on their payroll shows that the average cost for the procurement of those items is about 1,300 kuna per worker.

Broken down by business type, those in the services sector were expected to invest between 1,460 and 2,050 kuna per worker, the manufacturing industry 1,000-1,100 and the ICT sector about 500 kuna, HUP says.

It underscores that the whole manufacturing industry has had to allocate HRK 230 million for the procurement of protective gear, tools and disinfectants, the retail sector HRK 300 million, while the construction sector HRK 105 million since the start of the pandemic.

HUP director-general Damir Zoric was quoted as saying that the enterprise sector could not overcome the current crisis without more compensation measures.

Zoric says that employers ask that sick leave allowances for workers due to COVID-related reasons should be covered by the Croatian Health Insurance Agency (HZZO).

(€1 = HRK 7.5)