Kalmeta: New Act Will Protect 'Jadrolinija'

The Minister of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development Božidar Kalmeta and the State Secretary for Sea Branko Bačić commented at today's press conference in Zadar all negative reactions related to the final proposal of the Liner Shipping Carriage Act and Seasonal Coastal Trade Act.

Kalmeta pointed out that the new Act was drafted to protect everybody, the domestic shipping companies as well as the seafarers. The Act demanded that the chosen sea carrier had to be a Croatian company operating under the Croatian flag and working with a crew of Croatian citizens who were using Croatian as their official language.

Commenting fears that the new Act might destroy the domestic shipping company ‘Jadrolinija’ who up until now enjoyed a ten years monopoly, Kalmeta said that the new Act represented a necessary preparation for the future opening and liberalization of the market due to joining the EU.

He further pointed out that the ‘Jadrolinija’ had experienced its most intense investment cycle during the last years, receiving Government money in the amount of EUR 114 million. This was proof that the Government cared about this domestic shipping company, because to invest into ‘Jadrolinija’ meant to invest in its ability to compete on the open market. 

Talking about other investments, Kalmeta mentioned the amount of HRK 1 billion invested in Croatian islands throughout 2005, announcing similar investments for 2006.

Kalmeta also explained that all public tenders for the assignment of the concessions for the transport would be organized through a special agency located in Split. He justified the selection of Split by saying that Split had one of the three largest ports in the Mediterranean, according to registered traffic.

Branko Bačić said that the final proposal of the Act was defined in professional and public discussions with sea carriers and seafarers, concluding once again that it was not necessary to worry about the future of ‘Jadrolinija’. 

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