The Croatian Central Bank (HNB) will soon embark on a very extensive campaign for the euro replacing the kuna as the national currency, as the country is set to join the euro zone on January 1, 2023, Vecernji List daily reported on Tuesday.

To raise public awareness of the introduction of the euro, the HNB has prepared a tender for the creation and implementation of a national information campaign, estimated at 27 million kuna (€3.6 million), for carrying out the national plan of replacing the kuna with the euro.

As part of the campaign, 6.8 million kuna (€900,000) is envisaged for designing the promotional campaign, 14.5 million kuna (€1.9 million) for a media advertising strategy, 1.55 million kuna (€200,000) for PR and organising public events, 800,000 kuna (€106,000) for a call centre, 400,000 kuna (€53,000) for a public opinion poll, and 2.95 million kuna (€400,000) for the Euro on Wheels travelling exhibition.

The campaign is aimed at acquainting citizens with all the advantages of introducing the euro, informing them about the date of the introduction, the fixed exchange rate and trends in consumer prices, and at sending the message that the euro will not result in price rises that would undermine living standards.

Citizens will also be informed about how the government will protect them from unjustified price rises. A public opinion poll has shown that a considerable percentage are concerned that the euro might result in major price prices.

Another aim of the campaign is to increase public support for the euro, reducing citizens’ insecurity and the feeling that they will be cheated in the process of switching to the euro.

It will be stressed that introducing the euro as the national currency leads to faster, more favourable and safer doing business, bigger investment, economic growth and higher living standards.

(€1 = 7.5 kuna)