Croatian citizens just got a financial breather. Parliament has passed a new law that stops banks from charging for basic services—meaning you’ll finally be able to access your salary without coughing up extra cash.
The law guarantees a free package including opening, maintaining, and closing an account, using online and mobile banking, withdrawing and depositing cash, and using a debit card. Card payments in shops and receiving euro payments, domestic or international, are also included.
And it’s not just for the average Joe. Pensioners and vulnerable groups will be able to withdraw cash without fees, whether over the counter or at the ATM.
Cracking Down on Corruption
In a separate blitz of reforms, Parliament also overhauled the law on public sector controls—bringing in OECD-approved rules to better fight corruption, fraud, and bribery.
State-owned companies now must appoint risk managers and create official risk strategies. The Ministry of Finance will issue tough new guidelines, while internal auditors get more independence and must report any dodgy dealings within 15 days—no more burying bad news in annual reports.
Public Jobs Go Public
No more backroom favours: under new rules, top jobs in state companies must be advertised publicly. There’s also a push for boardroom diversity—age, gender, background, the lot.
The government controls 36 key state firms, which made up a staggering €12.2 billion last year, or 84% of all revenue from state-owned businesses. In total, over 900 companies are majority state-owned, most of them run by counties, cities, or municipalities.