At least three companies interested in copper mines - PM

At least three companies interested in copper mines - PM

Brnabic, who began the visit to the Majdanpek municipality by visiting Majdanpek Copper Mines, which is part of RTB Bor, pointed out that the deadline for bids expires on August 20, adding that she still cannot say how many companies bought the documentation, the government said on its website.

Asked whether the state will remain the majority owner, she emphasized that it would depend on the offers.

The minimum is that we have guarantees that all employees will retain their work and that the least investment will be $350 million, and that in the next four to five years the production will be increased three to four times, depending on which we will see how the state to position it in its own right, the Prime Minister said.

Brnabic reminded that a few months ago she visited Bor and the Mining and Smelting Basin Bor, and emphasized that mining means a lot for the city, and for Majdanpek.

Today, I wanted to visit the mine in Majdanpek, these two cities are the mining centrers of Serbia. Mining has been recognized by the Government of Serbia as one of the huge unused potentials, she stressed.

Mining, as she pointed out, currently contributes to GDP from 0.9% to one percent, we hope that in the next few years this percentage will be increased to as much as five percent, with only RTB Bor currently contributing 0.8 percent.

"We have reached our maximum with investing in new equipment, production and people, and what we need is a state partner. We promised and fulfilled that we will call for a strategic partner," Brnabic reminded.

The Prime Minister pointed out that Majdanpek has two main branches for development – mining and tourism, and added that she will visit Donji Milanovac in order to visit Lepenski Vir and National Park Djerdap.

Brnabic said that the development of mining in a smart way to invest in ecology, noting that the development of mining does not endanger tourism, which records year-on-year growth.

She, answering the question when the waste water collector at the Bor-Mining Smelter Basin will start, said that the funds in the budget amounting to RSD 1 billion have been set aside.

This will, as she pointed out, be one of the priority projects in 2018 and 2019.