Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tomislav Coric said on Friday that vaccination is the only way we can all be responsible and that, if the tourism season fails, it will not be possible to find the necessary funding for all the needs in the years to come.

“Our economy is in the process of recovering, but it is highly dependent on tourism. If the tourism season fails, there is no magic wand with which we will be able to find additional funds to finance our needs, this year and in the years to come. That is why we all have to be responsible towards the country we live in and its economy, particularly to the most vulnerable groups of citizens. The only way for us to be responsible together is to be vaccinated,” said Coric.

Asked about the possibility that entrepreneurs will have to be vaccinated if they are to receive aid, and whether this has been discussed with entrepreneurs, Ćorić said that that would be a responsible move.

Coric said that Croatia had the lowest percentage of inoculation of all Mediterranean countries.

“Anyone who is responsible should be rewarded and those who aren’t should be subjected to criticism from the rest of us,” he said. “Benefits should be linked to responsible behavior above all.”

Asked about the situation at the Brodosplit shipyard and whether workers should fear for their wages or dismissal, Coric said that the workers would fight for their rights.

“Brodosplit is a private company on the market. There are several companies within that conglomeration. According to information received, some of them have had their accounts blocked. Some of the problems are being resolved and I hope that Brodosplit, with more than 2,000 workers, will continue operating,” he said.

The situation at Brodosplit is a reflection of the situation on the global market as many shipyards have lost ground to the competition, above all, China, he said.

“Want we want is that workers get their wages. That is what the government wants,” Coric said.

He recalled that the government had bailed out shipbuilding for years through state guarantees on loans.

“One of the preconditions for guarantees was that all obligations to the Tax Administration had been settled,” he underscored.

Coric was attending  the EveryDayGreen campaign at the Rijeka farmer’s market dedicated to reducing the use of plastic packaging.

The campaign is aimed at reducing the use of disposable plastic packaging and promoting the purchase of fresh produce on the occasion of Planet Day.