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Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday endorsed a report on the effects of the implementation of the Islands Act in 2020, but opposition MPs warned of the problem of a shortage of doctors on the islands, insufficient investment in schools, and unresolved land title issues.
Unlike the opposition, MPs from the ruling majority underscored the importance of increased investment in infrastructure and connectivity between the islands and the mainland, emphasising its impact on the quality of life on the islands.
Spomenka Đurić, state secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, said that total investments in the state and public sector for island development in 2020 amounted to HRK 3.83 billion, the majority of which was in grants. Compared to 2019, that is an increase of 35%.
She said investing in the islands was increasing each year - by 22% in 2018, by 43% in 2019, and by 29% in 2020.
Đurić stressed that the state recognised the islands and life on them as areas of special state interest and areas of great natural, economic, and tourist potential.
She added that the most significant increase in investment in the islands was in the energy sector, transport and connectivity, and employment.
Đurić said that the islands have 83 passenger and ferry ports, and are connected with the mainland by 51 maritime services. She added that an EU project to establish an emergency maritime medical service with speed boats enabled the procurement of six specialized boats to provide emergency medical assistance for the islanders.