Implementation of the Consumer Credit Act

The meeting was attended by Ana Zorić, Lucija Žolnai, Ana Pavlović and Amalija Jurin Nonković from the Ministry of Finance, as well as Renata Matošević, Sandra Markotić and Karen Orhel Knežević from the Croatian National Bank. Representatives of the Croatian National Bank joined the discussion in view of the important regulatory role that the Croatian National Bank will have in the implementation of the Act.

AmCham welcomed the acceptance of certain proposals it had put forward on behalf of its members during the legislative process, including the postponement of the application of certain provisions to provide businesses with adequate time to adapt. Representatives of the Ministry emphasized that particular attention had been paid to consumer protection when drafting the Act, while seeking to ensure that the new rules do not adversely affect the existing customer experience.

One of the topics discussed was the assessment of consumers’ creditworthiness, including the possibility of using data already available to telecommunications operators. Ways of implementing this obligation were considered that would comply with the Act while also being adapted to the specific characteristics of the telecommunications sector and the existing customer experience.

The participants also discussed the professional training of employees, assistance measures for consumers experiencing payment difficulties, the obligations of partners in sales networks and the preparation of implementing regulations. The Croatian National Bank will publish draft regulations on its website and conduct consultations with interested members of the public.

The participants expressed their willingness to continue an open dialogue and professional cooperation during the preparation of implementing regulations and the practical application of the new regulatory framework.

Representing AmCham and its member companies at the meeting were Andrea Doko Jelušić, Executive Director, AmCham; Dražen Malbašić, Policy Director, AmCham; Iva Cibulić, Director of the Public and Regulatory Affairs Department at Hrvatski Telekom; Iva Dragić Šević, Regulatory Affairs Advisor and Markets Coordinator at Telemach; and Andrea Duvnjak, Project Manager at A1 Hrvatska.