Belgrade Venture Forum 2013 opens

BELGRADE Minister of Economy Sasa Radulovic said in Belgrade on Tuesday the government would implement "three types of systemic measures to attract foreign investments." He also announced assistance to government companies, more accessible loans and a regulations reform. Belgrade Venture Forum 2013 opens The government will clear the debts of the restructuring companies and solve their problems in order to get them back on their feet, which will be the best basis for attracting foreign investments, Radulovic told reporters after the opening of the largest investment forum in the Balkans, the Belgrade Venture Forum. The ministry is also working with the central bank and the Ministry of Finance to reduce interest rates and make loans for businesses more accessible, he noted. The ministry is also working on a reform of the regulations to make the business environment better, he stressed. "That set of systemic measures will make Serbia very attractive," Radulovic underscored. It is much more important to adopt a new law on labour and a new law on planning and construction than provide subsidies, he said. (Tanjug) Biggest investment forum in Balkans Belgrade Venture Forum 2013, the biggest investment forum in the Balkans, begun in Belgrade on Tuesday, and Serbian Economy Minister Sasa Radulovic said at the beginning of the event that the government has allocated RSD four billion to be used to attract venture capital and private equity investment in Serbia starting from January 2014. “This will bring in private money, and the state will co-invest with 20 to 40 percent,” Radulovic said at the opening of the event in Belgrade’s Hotel Metropol. Radulovic said that Serbia needs innovations in the economic sphere and special investment funds to provide money for their implementation. He stressed that these funds will be there to finance various projects and invited all entrepreneurs and innovators in Serbia to come out with their ideas. Investment in innovation in Serbia will gain a fresh momentum and open up a new chapter for the country’s future, Radulovic said. The problem is that investments in innovation generate losses in the first few years and it takes time for new enterprises to begin making profit, which is why banks cannot finance such projects, he added. Therefore, to be able to fund such projects, we need special investment funds called “venture capital funds,” the economy minister said. “This would also serve as a magnet to draw our people abroad back in Serbia,” said Radulovic. Israel’s experience is a good model to be applied in Serbia, given that the country has made a major shift in investment activities in the IT sector, Radulovic said. He expressed the expectation that these funds will be set up as early as in January of next year. According to the organizers, the participants in the two-day event will be able to hear speeches by more than 50 speakers from 15 countries, in a total of 12 keynote addresses and seven panels, and meet with representatives of successful European regions such as the Basque Country (Spain) and Flanders (Belgium). Tanjug

Belgrade Venture Forum 2013 opens

The government will clear the debts of the restructuring companies and solve their problems in order to get them back on their feet, which will be the best basis for attracting foreign investments, Radulović told reporters after the opening of the largest investment forum in the Balkans, the Belgrade Venture Forum.

The ministry is also working with the central bank and the Ministry of Finance to reduce interest rates and make loans for businesses more accessible, he noted.

The ministry is also working on a reform of the regulations to make the business environment better, he stressed.

"That set of systemic measures will make Serbia very attractive," Radulović underscored.

It is much more important to adopt a new law on labour and a new law on planning and construction than provide subsidies, he said.

Biggest investment forum in Balkans

Belgrade Venture Forum 2013, the biggest investment forum in the Balkans, begun in Belgrade on Tuesday, and Serbian Economy Minister Saša Radulović said at the beginning of the event that the government has allocated RSD four billion to be used to attract venture capital and private equity investment in Serbia starting from January 2014.

“This will bring in private money, and the state will co-invest with 20 to 40 percent,” Radulović said at the opening of the event in Belgrade’s Hotel Metropol.

Radulović said that Serbia needs innovations in the economic sphere and special investment funds to provide money for their implementation.

He stressed that these funds will be there to finance various projects and invited all entrepreneurs and innovators in Serbia to come out with their ideas.

Investment in innovation in Serbia will gain a fresh momentum and open up a new chapter for the country’s future, Radulović said.

The problem is that investments in innovation generate losses in the first few years and it takes time for new enterprises to begin making profit, which is why banks cannot finance such projects, he added.

Therefore, to be able to fund such projects, we need special investment funds called “venture capital funds,” the economy minister said.

“This would also serve as a magnet to draw our people abroad back in Serbia,” said Radulović.

Israel’s experience is a good model to be applied in Serbia, given that the country has made a major shift in investment activities in the IT sector, Radulović said.

He expressed the expectation that these funds will be set up as early as in January of next year.

According to the organizers, the participants in the two-day event will be able to hear speeches by more than 50 speakers from 15 countries, in a total of 12 keynote addresses and seven panels, and meet with representatives of successful European regions such as the Basque Country (Spain) and Flanders (Belgium).