SIEPA: Serbian market has perspective

About 80 foreign companies are showing great interest in investing in projects in Serbia, SIEPA Director Bozidar Laganin said. The director of the Agency for Foreign Investments said that this year will bring good news to Serbia with new investments and an increase in exports. SIEPA: Serbian market has perspective “I believe that we will be able to promote large export jobs in the coming weeks,” Laganin said. The new export arrangement of the Serbian industry and the increase in the interest of foreign investors are a result of the successful participation of Serbian companies in fairs held abroad and other economic events, with the support of SIEPA, he said. Laganin cited a recent fair in Algeria, which is Serbia’s largest business partner in Africa. He said that Algeria is a market with 35 million consumers, which is the second largest in Africa, adding that there was great potential for Serbian export-oriented companies in that country. He said that Serbian construction and food production companies have had the most interest shown in them coming from Algeria, stating that these two sectors of the Serbian economy could achieve millions in exports in a short amount of time. The SIEPA director stated that one Serbian company sold its exhibition pieces at the Algerian fair, adding that these were machines that are used in the paper industry. “This is proof that there is a lot of perspective for the market for export-oriented companies,2 Laganin was quoted. Speaking of the automobile industry, where he said interest was participatory high when it came to the production of auto parts, Laganin stated there were “more than 150 companies from three continents and 20 countries present at a conference organized with Fiat officials in Belgrade on May 25”. “We at SIEPA are certain that the Serbian government has recognized this sector as one of the most important in our economy. The agency has received the possibility of additionally motivating foreign and domestic investors to enter into Serbian production factories, and every new job opening will be stimulated with EUR 10,000,” he said. “At this moment, we have 11 public requests for these funds, and judging by prior results, which the program has brought and which are measured with more than 17,000 jobs and more than EUR 600mn of new investments, I honestly hope that we will have success in maintaining the speed of these results and have a larger number of quality companies and of course more jobs,” Laganin added. He said that as far as the macroeconomic situation in the country was concerned, “trends from the first quarter are encouraging, which show that there has been an increase in exports by 18 percent and an increase in imports of three percent”.

SIEPA: Serbian market has perspective

“I believe that we will be able to promote large export jobs in the coming weeks,” Laganin said.

The new export arrangement of the Serbian industry and the increase in the interest of foreign investors are a result of the successful participation of Serbian companies in fairs held abroad and other economic events, with the support of SIEPA, he said.

Laganin cited a recent fair in Algeria, which is Serbia’s largest business partner in Africa. He said that Algeria is a market with 35 million consumers, which is the second largest in Africa, adding that there was great potential for Serbian export-oriented companies in that country.

He said that Serbian construction and food production companies have had the most interest shown in them coming from Algeria, stating that these two sectors of the Serbian economy could achieve millions in exports in a short amount of time.

The SIEPA director stated that one Serbian company sold its exhibition pieces at the Algerian fair, adding that these were machines that are used in the paper industry.

“This is proof that there is a lot of perspective for the market for export-oriented companies,2 Laganin was quoted.

Speaking of the automobile industry, where he said interest was participatory high when it came to the production of auto parts, Laganin stated there were “more than 150 companies from three continents and 20 countries present at a conference organized with Fiat officials in Belgrade on May 25”.

“We at SIEPA are certain that the Serbian government has recognized this sector as one of the most important in our economy. The agency has received the possibility of additionally motivating foreign and domestic investors to enter into Serbian production factories, and every new job opening will be stimulated with EUR 10,000,” he said.

“At this moment, we have 11 public requests for these funds, and judging by prior results, which the program has brought and which are measured with more than 17,000 jobs and more than EUR 600mn of new investments, I honestly hope that we will have success in maintaining the speed of these results and have a larger number of quality companies and of course more jobs,” Laganin added.

He said that as far as the macroeconomic situation in the country was concerned, “trends from the first quarter are encouraging, which show that there has been an increase in exports by 18 percent and an increase in imports of three percent”.