Miletić announced that Uber and Bolt had bribed Croatia for 200 million euros.

In recent days, Croatian MP Marin Miletić from the Most party has raised concerns about the financial impact of international ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Bolt on the country's economy. According to Miletić, these companies have been operating in Croatia without paying taxes locally, instead routing their earnings through entities based abroad. This practice, he argues, has resulted in the loss of approximately 200 million euros over the past decade, which could have been used for critical public infrastructure projects.

Miletić highlighted that Uber and Bolt generate significant revenue annually from services provided within Croatia but conduct their business operations through foreign-based companies. As a result, these platforms avoid paying local taxes. He estimated that this leads to an annual loss of around 20 million euros in unpaid taxes, a figure that could have funded the reconstruction of all Zagreb schools and kindergartens damaged during recent earthquakes. Additionally, he compared this amount to the projected cost of building the National Children’s Hospital, a long-awaited project in Croatia due to budget constraints.

The MP warned that if current trends continue, Croatia will face even greater losses in the coming years as the taxi market continues to grow. He pointed out that each small-scale taxi business operating on these platforms loses up to 3,600 euros per year in taxes due to cross-border operations. Legal businesses in Croatia, which already pay their taxes, are further burdened by new tax obligations while the issue of taxing international platforms remains unresolved.

Miletić criticized the government for its handling of the situation, noting that Minister of Transport Oleg Butković allows these platforms to transfer money out of the country, whereas Finance Minister Tomislav Ćorić focuses on imposing additional tax burdens on small-scale operators to collect 60 million euros annually. He called on the Croatian Chamber of Skilled Crafts to support its members affected by these practices.

He emphasized that his proposal does not aim to ban these platforms or restrict the market. Instead, he advocated for the government to aggressively address illegal aggregators and legally compel international ride-hailing platforms to pay taxes in Croatia. Miletić argued that changing the tax treatment of these platforms would provide clear support for a cleaner taxi market in Croatia and ensure fairer conditions for domestic taxi drivers.

In response to Miletić's criticisms, Bolt issued a statement confirming that its operations in Croatia fully comply with existing regulations both in the Republic of Croatia and the European Union. The company expressed willingness to support any legal solution or interpretation of laws that apply equally to all participants in the market. They stated that should the relevant ministry decide that all platforms in the transportation sector must operate from within Croatia and pay taxes there, Bolt would fully align its operations with that decision.

Bolt also mentioned its long-term intention to continue investing in the Croatian market, developing user services and partnerships with drivers, and being a constructive partner with institutions in creating a modern, transparent, and sustainable regulatory framework. Their commitment reflects a desire to maintain a positive relationship with local authorities while adhering to legal standards.