Since my arrival at the agency almost a year and a half ago, I have been trying to initiate the adoption of a new law on HINA to define the agency as a public institution, which is how it is currently trying to function, and not as a state service, as stipulated in the present law. . . . Several big state users of HINA's services as well as users connected with the state have been deferring the payment of their subscription fees for such a long time that HINA is for the first time in its history facing a serious financial crisis. Most critical problems for the development of the agency have occurred in relation to the appointment of the agency's new editor in chief. I insisted that the government appoint to the post a professional reporter. . . . This suggestion was not accepted, and subsequent experience has shown that the new editor in chief is interpreting his powers in a most unusual manner, and has not even tried to adapt to certain programmes aimed at increased efficiency of the editorial board.
Debt crisis threatens to cripple Croatia's press.
Croatian newspaper publishers are in serious financial trouble, the Croatian news agency HINA reported on 18th January. The crisis has arisen after the Tisak distributing company, which distributes some 75 per cent of all the daily and other print media, failed to repay its 1.6m-dollar debt to the publishers. For their part, the newspapers are now unable to repay their own debts to the printing companies which threaten to withdraw their services unless the debts are repaid by 23rd January. Due to the seriousness of the situation, the publishers are now seeking talks with the government, HINA said. If the distributors fail to honour their obligations by 25th January, kiosks will have no newspapers to sell, Croatian TV said on the 18th.