"China is the perfect opportunity"; Vučić at ceremony for handing out incentive grants for beverage production

Vučić tours the stands

Vučić is touring the stands together with Minister of Economy Adrijana Mesarović, and later 27 decisions on the allocation of subsidies will be handed out.

“Finding markets is important, and China is the perfect opportunity,” said Vučić, emphasizing that while many want to cooperate with China due to the size of its market, it is not easy because not everything will be accepted.

“Three years ago, for wines at least, the tariff was 30 percent, this year it is 12 percent, next year it will be 6 percent, and the year after zero percent. That is the advantage of the agreement we have with China. The work of winemakers and vineyard owners is hard—they work 11 months a year. It is important that we find markets, and for us, China is an ideal opportunity. But if anyone thinks it’s easy—it's not. Only those with quality and competitive pricing can succeed there. Nothing compares to China,” he stressed.

Vučić noted that Ukraine and Moldova are the countries from which Serbia imports bottles.

He toured the stands together with the Minister of Economy, Adrijana Mesarović, and later, 27 decisions on the allocation of subsidies will be handed out.

The call for grant applications under the Program was launched by the Ministry of Economy, in cooperation with the Development Fund of the Republic of Serbia, to support the wine, beer, and spirits production sectors as important and promising branches of the economy.

TANJUG/ MILOŠ MILIVOJEVIĆ/ bs

Subsidies up to 5,000,000 dinars

The funds for this program are provided by the 2025 budget of the Republic of Serbia in the amount of 300,000,000 dinars, of which 150,000,000 dinars are non-refundable grants and 150,000,000 dinars are loans from the Development Fund.

The minimum grant amount is 250,000 dinars, and the maximum is 5,000,000 dinars, or together with loan funds, from 500,000 to 10,000,000 dinars.

The 2025 Program to support the development of processing capacities in wine, beer, and spirits production is part of a broader, systemic government policy aimed at strengthening the real sector, launching a new investment cycle, and maintaining macroeconomic stability.

In conditions of pronounced global uncertainty and tighter financing on international markets, the state actively creates a predictable and supportive business environment, with a special focus on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises as the backbone of the domestic economy.

Intended purposes of the funds

The funds allocated under this program are intended for new equipment directly involved in the production process, including:

• Production equipment and/or machinery; delivery vehicles for transporting own products and other transport means used in the production process; parts, specialized tools for machines; machines and equipment for improving energy efficiency and environmental aspects of production.

• Operational costs, which may account for up to 20 percent of the total investment for which program funds are requested.

Grant amounts:

• 50% non-refundable funds for all eligible applicants

• 55% for applicants from municipalities classified in the third and fourth group of development

• 60% if:

  • The founder and legal representative is a woman (minimum 51%) and one of the legal representatives must be a woman

  • The founder and legal representative is an individual under 35 years old (minimum 51%) and one of the legal representatives must be under 35

  • More than 30% of business revenue comes from sales of products and services in foreign markets

Loan conditions – for the remaining 50% of the investment:

• Maximum loan amount: up to 5,000,000 dinars

• Repayment period: up to 60 months

• Grace period: up to 12 months

• Interest rate: 2.5% per year with a currency clause

• Collateral: pledge on the equipment/vehicle being financed or other existing equipment of equal or greater value, promissory note of the business entity, personal promissory note of the founder