Siniša Mali for B92.net "Today is a big and important day for all citizens of Serbia"

Minister of Finance, Siniša Mali, spoke for B92 portal about all important and current economic topics in the country.

Izvor: Ana Ristovic, B92.NET

Monday, 22.11.2021.

08:45

Siniša Mali for B92.net
Foto: TANJUG/ZORAN ZESTIC/bg

Siniša Mali for B92.net "Today is a big and important day for all citizens of Serbia"

In an interview with B92.net, Mali commented on the beginning of the construction of the subway in Belgrade, talked about what other large infrastructure projects await us, but also presented the currently largest projects of the ministry he leads. Read about it all below.

November brings us the launch of works that have been waiting for decades - Belgrade finally got the subway. You were born in this city, you were at its head, now you are dealing with this project from a higher, republic level? What does the subway bring on all three levels - to the "ordinary" man, the image of the city, but also of the state?

Today is a big and important day for all of us, for all citizens of Serbia, because the construction of the subway in Belgrade begins today. After so many decades of various announcements and plans, this government, led by President Aleksandar Vučić, will implement such an important and large project. Preparatory works for the construction of the depot are starting on a huge area of ​​as much as 72 hectares. Next year, we are expected to sign a contract for the construction of a depot, then for the construction of access roads, and then for the construction of stations and tunnels. After that, the construction of the depot begins, then the access roads, the stations, and then the digging of the tunnel. The tunnels will be dug by TBM machines, the so-called a mole, which will be 100 meters long, and which has been made for 13 months. An additional three months are required for its assembly. That tells you best about how complex this project is. The metro we are building will be the most modern possible, fully automated, without a driver. I remind you that the first line will connect Zeleznik and Mirijevo, and the second will connect Bežanija and Mirijevo. The two of them will intersect on Sava Square. The first line is planned to be completed in 2028, and the second in 2030.

By building the subway, we are opening a new era of our capital, which will finally justify the status of a metropolis. Ordinary citizens will have incomparably better, faster transportation in Belgrade, and that is a symbol of a better life for them. Better traffic connection is also a chance for the development of certain parts of the city, in which investors, both domestic and foreign, will find their interest. With this project, the state shows how strong it is, as well as that the policy pursued is primarily aimed at improving the quality of life of citizens.

This month, one of the main economic topics is certainly the state budget for 2022, which is expected to be adopted by the National Assembly. A record amount has been announced for capital investments. What construction projects could we start next year?

The draft budget for 2022 will reach the MPs of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia tomorrow, and with that budget we will continue the further strong fight for strengthening the Serbian economy and preserving the living standard of the citizens of Serbia. Of course, there are also capital investments, which are planned at the level of 485.8 billion dinars, or 7.3% of GDP. So, we have record allocations for capital investments, and we are continuing, both with already started projects, and with some new ones in the field of infrastructure construction, health, ecology, environmental protection, culture… Among the capital projects that are in the budget for 2022 are, among others, the construction of the Fruška Gora Corridor, the Danube Corridor, the section Preljina-Požega, Pojate-Preljina, the construction of the Belgrade-Sarajevo highway, the construction of the Ruma-Šabac-Loznica road, the construction of the Bački Breg-Kikinda expressway, the Niš-Pločnik section, Hungarian-Serbian railway project… Of course, this is only a part of the roads and railways we are building, and what I have to especially emphasize is the project of building a subway in Belgrade.

The launch of works on the construction of the National Stadium awaits us.

When it comes to improving the living standard of citizens, the budget envisages an increase in pensions in accordance with the Swiss formula by 5.5%, starting from January 1 next year. Also, all pensioners will receive 20.000 dinars of help from the state at the beginning of next year. It is also planned to increase the minimum price of labor by 9.4% in 2022, which will exceed the minimum wage for the first time 35.000 dinars. We also expect an increase in salaries in the public sector, by an average of 7.3%. Employees in health care institutions, the army, and social protection will receive a salary increase of 8%, while other employees in the public sector will receive a salary increase of 7%. The budget plans record allocations for health care and the health care system, both through the construction and reconstruction of hospitals and health centers, and through the procurement of medical equipment, materials, drugs and vaccines.

There are larger investments in ecology and environmental protection, education, agriculture, culture… So, as you can see, we are working and building in all fields, and it will be the same in the future.

On the other hand, how are we going to end this year? You forecast higher growth than predicted by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. What gives you confidence that we will achieve results that exceed the projections of these world institutions?

All international financial institutions have increased the projection of our economic growth for this year, and the European Commission was among the last to do so, which, after the spring forecast in which they predicted 5.3%, increased the projection to 6.7%. That is great news and confirmation of our good results. The projection of the Ministry of Finance is 7%, but we think that we will certainly grow even more than that.

Namely, macroeconomic trends this year are incomparably better than projected. For example, in the first half of the year, we achieved GDP growth of 7.6 percent, in the third quarter the growth was 7.4%, and we expect it to be 5.7% in the last quarter. I will remind you that last year we had a drop in GDP of 0.9 percent, which is one of the best results in Europe. This year, we have entered a zone of high growth, because our economy is based on real sources, investments and exports. GDP growth this and last year will certainly be one of the best in Europe, and that is a huge success for all of us, and especially for the citizens, who can look forward to the concrete effects of pursuing the right economic policy.

I am very proud because, despite the coronavirus pandemic, we managed to save jobs and the level of economic activity, while further attracting investors, and that we have enough money to increase public sector salaries and pensions, as well as the minimum wage, from January next year. This is an indicator that, thanks to the allocation of about eight billion euros, within three packages of assistance to the economy and citizens, we managed to fight for the excellent results we are achieving. The latest data is that from January to October, we attracted more than three billion and 140 million euros of foreign direct investments, by far the most in the region. That is 60% of the total investments in the Western Balkans and a real proof that we are leaders in the region.
*ALT
We have entered the process of e-fiscalization, which you recently assessed as the most important project of the Ministry of Finance. How do you feel about the dynamics with which things are going so far - how is the taxpayer's application going, but also the development of the necessary software solutions?

The e-fiscalization project is the most important project for the Ministry of Finance, but also for the economy and citizens, and very soon everyone will see great benefits from the introduction of the new model. The existing system of fiscal cash registers is outdated and it has proven to be inefficient. The new system means that the device is constantly in online communication with the Tax Administration. Every communication and every transaction that happens is seen in real time on the server of the Tax Administration. It is also significant that the fiscal device can be both a tablet and a mobile phone, and citizens will also be able to participate in the control, by scanning the QR code on the account. This means that we will be significantly more efficient in combating the gray economy and that we will finally achieve a moto "clean bill, long love" .

The transition period for the transition to the new model began on November 1 and lasts until April 30, 2022. I would like to remind you that it is necessary for taxpayers to first report the location of business facilities through the eTaxes portal, then they can apply for subsidies, as well as to request a security element in the form of a card or file. We already have the first certified elements of the electronic device, so everything is ready. I will remind you that the economy will not suffer any cost, since the state has prepared six billion dinars in subsidies. The dynamics of subsidy payments is on a weekly basis and this work is done without delay.

E-invoices also bring a big change to the financial system, thanks to which businessmen will be able to count on a much faster VAT refund. From January 1, all public sector entities will have the obligation to receive, store and issue e-invoices - to what extent, in your opinion, are they ready for that?

This was one of the main demands of the economy, because in that way the VAT refund is significantly accelerated. In the first moment, e-invoices will have to be used by all public sector entities, and then by others. So, if the invoices are matched, it will be possible to realize a VAT refund on the same day. There is no reason to wait, and everyone should keep up with the times, with digitalization, because if the business is accelerated, it is a gain for all participants in the business.

For all of them, it is of great importance because they will have greater legal security, business efficiency, less time spent on storage or searching old invoices, not to mention ecology. The whole system means that Serbia is moving forward and that we are implementing the digitalization process in the right way.

Thus, as of January 1, 2022, public sector entities have an obligation to be able to receive and issue e-invoices among themselves, as well as private sector entities that wish to receive invoices from the public sector. From 1 July 2022, private sector entities are expected to be able to receive and store e-invoices from other private and public sector entities, and from 1 January 2023, everyone in the private sector should be ready to receive and send e-invoices.
*ALT
In September, you introduced a new section on the Instagram profile "Ask the Minister", you went through several topics with citizens, what are their most common dilemmas, what questions do they pose to you on that social network?

I think that social networks are a very useful tool that helps us see what the citizens are most interested in, where it "creaks", what we can do better... Since I opened my accounts, it has been very important for me to communicate regularly with citizens, so to have a small team of people who respond to messages and record the topics that are most recurring, so that we can react. At the time of the pandemic, these orders were especially useful to us, because we quickly made decisions that had an impact on a large number of citizens, so they had many questions, to which we answered literally 24 hours a day. We have introduced the "Ask the Minister" section in order to deal in detail with topics of particular interest to citizens and the economy. So far, we have covered the topic of e-invoices, e-fiscalization and financial assistance to citizens. All these topics, with questions and answers, are still on the Instagram profile in the "Highligts" section so that everyone can get acquainted with them. We will continue with the same practice in the following period, considering that we have encountered an excellent reaction from the citizens.

There is no doubt that social networks are increasingly becoming sources of information, so it is clear why you recognized the importance of this type of communication with citizens, but from the position of the B92 column, which turns 15 this month, we can not miss the opportunity to ask you how you assess the role of media as a source of information in all important economic processes of our country and how much do you pay attention to media work?

First of all, I would like to congratulate you on marking 15 years of existence and wish you to continue to be leaders in your business, to always have timely and true information, as has been the case so far. B92 is a serious medium and brand, readers trust you and that is always the most important thing. I have to admit that before I started doing public work, I didn't know much about the media, nor was I genuinely interested in it. After I became, first the mayor of Belgrade, and then the Minister of Finance, I began to see their importance, primarily so that citizens would be informed about all topics that are important for their lives. When it comes to economic news, which is, let's say, my field of work, the good news that reaches us does not leave anyone indifferent, and it also gives us the wind in our backs to try even harder and work even harder on a better future for all citizens.

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