Business community on govt. measures

The Serbian Association of Businesspeople officials believe the announced financial measures are a sign that the government “has started thinking" about them. The reaction came after Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic announced that about EUR 2bn would be set aside next year for improving the economy in Serbia. Business community on govt. measures Association President Toplica Spasojevic told B92 that the government has not spent much time over the past two months dealing with the business community. Instead, he continued, denials were heard that Serbia would be entering a financial crisis. “Currently, I think that it is more important to stimulate banks to support industry. Banks have the task of working with businesspeople and companies,” Spasojevic said. “Help from a special fund of EUR 1mn which a company will get does not help us if the bank is asking you to return the three million which you took out earlier. I think that it is key to focus on the banking system, because that is the way to keep the employment rate on the same level and maybe even increase it in the future,” Spasojevic said. He said that the announced increase in excise taxes on fuel is something that can help fill the budget, but that it will make things harder for businesses. Meanwhile, a member of the opposition Serb Progressive Party’s economic team, Miroslav Zdravkovic, said he supports the announced measures of the government, and that it is "proof that the state is finally starting to take care of businesspeople". But he also added that it is "still small in volume". Zdravkovic said that the announced measures could help in the private sector as well – but could not specify how –, adding instead that that "time will tell what the exact measures will be". In the meantime, according to unofficial information from the Employers Association, some 10,000 workers could lose their jobs because of the economic crisis in Nis alone. “These are mostly workers in small and middle-sized companies, especially those who work in family businesses. These are small companies with small amounts of trade and income and they will be the first to suffer,” Union official Zoran Stojkovic said.

Business community on govt. measures

Association President Toplica Spasojević told B92 that the government has not spent much time over the past two months dealing with the business community.

Instead, he continued, denials were heard that Serbia would be entering a financial crisis.

“Currently, I think that it is more important to stimulate banks to support industry. Banks have the task of working with businesspeople and companies,” Spasojević said.

“Help from a special fund of EUR 1mn which a company will get does not help us if the bank is asking you to return the three million which you took out earlier. I think that it is key to focus on the banking system, because that is the way to keep the employment rate on the same level and maybe even increase it in the future,” Spasojević said.

He said that the announced increase in excise taxes on fuel is something that can help fill the budget, but that it will make things harder for businesses.

Meanwhile, a member of the opposition Serb Progressive Party’s economic team, Miroslav Zdravković, said he supports the announced measures of the government, and that it is "proof that the state is finally starting to take care of businesspeople".

But he also added that it is "still small in volume".

Zdravković said that the announced measures could help in the private sector as well – but could not specify how –, adding instead that that "time will tell what the exact measures will be".

In the meantime, according to unofficial information from the Employers Association, some 10,000 workers could lose their jobs because of the economic crisis in Niš alone.

“These are mostly workers in small and middle-sized companies, especially those who work in family businesses. These are small companies with small amounts of trade and income and they will be the first to suffer,” Union official Zoran Stojković said.