Economic conference held in Opatija

The sixth International Conference on current affairs in economics and business was held in Opatija. Discussions focused on using new digital technology to boost economic development. 

The president of the management board at the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency (HANFA), Ante Žigman, said financial literacy was key.

"One of the main problems is the lack of knowledge with regard to digital finances. We are constantly under pressure and we see many financial scams. Everyone must be aware of this when conducting financial transactions online and whether those companies are even properly registered," said Žigman.

And according to the government, acceptance of the euro single currency - which was introduced in the new year - is gaining traction.

"Support for the euro has grown since we adopted it, because those who thought that the euro would lead to a dramatic increase in prices have actually seen that this in-fact didn't occur. That is why support has grown. We saw this in some Baltic countries, where support for the euro was below fifty percent before the currency was adopted," said National Bank Governor Boris Vujčić.

The International Monetary Fund and the National Bank expect inflation to drop to five percent by the end of this year, and reach the goal of two percent inflation sometime over the next two years.