At the meetings, the Croatian delegation was joined by the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the USA Pjer Šimunović.
- We discussed models of energy efficiency. Together with the World Bank, we shall elaborate optimal models to meet all the future needs of Croatia. Last year the Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning absorbed 60% more funds for energy renovation than originally planned. Currently, more than 1 300 hospitals, schools, nursery schools and gymnasiums all over Croatia are under renovation, energy efficiency has been increased for almost 17 000 households, numerous educational institutions have been renovated for 70 000 children. National goals were discussed regarding the Long-term strategy of energy renovation of buildings by 2050, with a special emphasis on financial mechanisms in the future period. Our goal is not only to continue but also to devise a good plan for the coming years – Predrag Štromar said.
Another topic of the meeting was how to increase Croatia’s competitiveness and to bring about its rise on the Doing Business Ranking.
- We reported on the legislative changes that result in quicker and cheaper issuance of permits for building. The Physical Planning Act and the Building Act have been recently adopted by the Parliament and they have entered into force. By these changes of the acts on building and physical planning we have been creating a more efficient, quicker and cheaper permitting system, to the benefit of citizens and investors. Through the adoption of these Acts, the procedure of obtaining building and use permits has been simplified, accelerated and facilitated, and this refers also to construction itself – Štromar said.
Furthermore, also the implementation efficiency of these acts shall be improved, and this again will have an impact on increasing the cost effectiveness of investments into construction and thereby also on an increase in the number of investments and the number of persons employed in construction.
- There are three crucial changes: reduction in the number of permitting procedures, reduction of the permitting costs and limitation of time periods for public services with regard to their delivery of positions – Štromar explains.
A huge novelty is that the designer assumes all the investor’s obligations with regard to obtaining permits. By electronic signature the designer enters all the processes and monitors the file in real time.
These and all the other changes are aimed at serving citizens in an as efficient as possible manner.
In Washington also a number of meetings were held with experts from various fields, and the meetings were attended, besides by the minister, also by State Secretary Danijel Meštrić, Heads of Sectors Ines Androić Brajčić and Irena Križ Šelendić, and Ms. Anja Galić.
The World Bank pointed out the importance of deregulation of professions in all sectors and complemented the Ministry of Construction on the proposed legislative solutions that are to decrease the number of regulated professions.
The representatives of the World Bank were especially pleased with the digitisation process and with the reduction in the number of procedures for obtaining permits in the field of construction.
