ZAGREB, Jan 25 (Hina) - Croatia's printer "Hrvatska Tiskara" (HT) will be forced to discontinue business with several Croatian publishers as of Tuesday. After "several months of failed appeals and warnings", HT notified publishers
they must settle their debts to HT closing Monday, HT director Goran Maric told Hina on Monday. Without being specific about the publishers in question, Maric said such steps were necessary for HT to ensure the regular printing of newspapers and magazines whose owners regularly pay HT's services. HT earlier this month warned publishers it would cease printing newspapers and magazines whose owners failed to settle their debts by January 22. The publishers responded with an ultimatum to Croatia's largest press distributor, "Tisak", stating they would cancel contracts on press distribution and sales if "Tisak" failed to settle its debts to publishers by January 25. On
ZAGREB, Jan 25 (Hina) - Croatia's printer "Hrvatska Tiskara" (HT)
will be forced to discontinue business with several Croatian
publishers as of Tuesday.
After "several months of failed appeals and warnings", HT notified
publishers they must settle their debts to HT closing Monday, HT
director Goran Maric told Hina on Monday.
Without being specific about the publishers in question, Maric said
such steps were necessary for HT to ensure the regular printing of
newspapers and magazines whose owners regularly pay HT's
services.
HT earlier this month warned publishers it would cease printing
newspapers and magazines whose owners failed to settle their debts
by January 22.
The publishers responded with an ultimatum to Croatia's largest
press distributor, "Tisak", stating they would cancel contracts on
press distribution and sales if "Tisak" failed to settle its debts
to publishers by January 25.
On January 21, the publishers, bankers, and "Tisak's" management
held a joint meeting and accepted in principle a government
proposal for the financial rehabilitation of the distributor.
A publishers' delegation on Monday held a working meeting with
Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa.
According to the director of Croatia's largest circulation daily
paper, "Vecernji List", the publishers received support and
assurances by both the Premier and the Croatian President's Office
that all would be undertaken to implement the government proposal.
"Tisak's" future was on Monday also discussed by its own
representatives and bankers.
Further talks with Matesa were announced for Wednesday, to be
attended by representatives of banks, "Tisak", and the
publishers.
Due to irregular paying in the last year, "Tisak", which
distributes some 75 percent of Croatian press, brought publishers
into major difficulties.
"Tisak's" debt to publishers revolves around US$15.9 million, to
tobacco suppliers US$3.2 million, and to banks US$61 million.
(hina) ha mm