The discussion on banks and corporate restructuring was organised by Banka magazine and attracted representatives of the banking, financial and economic sectors as well as analysts.
Presenting a Deloitte study on non-performing loans in the CEE region, its analyst Slaven Curic said banks in Croatia tried to cushion the impact of such loans on their revenues by raising interest rates, while at the same time the rise in such loans resulted in a lower availability of fresh loans.
Any restructuring in Croatia requires the engagement of all - banks, regulators, the state and the economy, he said.
Croatian National Bank Vice Governor Damir Odak said financial regulations were important for the real sector, as they impacted loan availability and prices as well as determining the behaviour of creditors.
He said good regulations accelerated the restructuring of financially weak companies but that in Croatia companies were still allowed to behave evasively.
RBA Board member Vesna Ciganek Vukovic said restructuring did not apply only to problematic companies, and that everyone should start thinking as soon as possible how to increase business opportunities.
She said loan rollover was very possible when the drop in revenue was not big, and that it was imperative to start handling the problem as soon as possible to avert blockades, additional borrowing and bankruptcy.
She said the pre-bankruptcy settlements showed the amount of the accumulated debt as well as doubts in many companies' operations resulting from bad or no decision-making.
Bernard Jakelic of the Croatian Employers Association urged the state to do more to improve the investment climate and conditions for doing business. He said the management structured in Croatian companies, notably public ones, were often subjective and emotional in decision-making.