HINA News

Chamber of Commerce recommends improving road passenger transport

ZAGREB, 10 June (Hina) – The Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) recommends improving logistics, reducing barriers to the transport of goods, providing public bus lines throughout Croatia, ensuring broadband internet in rural areas, modernising railways and ports, adapting the education system and easing labour import.

“It is crucial to strategically and systematically approach modernisation and stronger affirmation of activities so that the entire economy can benefit,” says Dario Soldo, director of the Transport Sector at the HGK.

The first recommendation for the development of transport is the improvement of public road passenger transport services. The HGK says this should be done as soon as possible in every county to enable cheaper and more accessible public transport. Expanding the public transport network in rural areas is also an important part of demographic policy measures, the HGK said in a statement on Monday.

Worker shortage

The HGK points out the chronic shortage of workforce in transport, specifically the lack of truck and bus drivers. It mentions that in recent years there has also been a shortage of medium-skilled workers with specific qualifications in all areas of transport, especially in rail and air transport.

Another recommendation is to align the secondary education system with labour market needs and enable the education of a larger number of students in vocational occupations.

The HGK also recommends promoting shortage occupations important with state incentives to facilitate and co-finance retraining.

It also underline the importance of regulating the import of foreign workers by reducing administrative procedures, extending the validity period of work permits, regulating the recognition of qualifications and certificates, and combating undeclared work.