Small Companies Most Jeopardized – Employers’ Initiatives for Prevention of Mass Layoffs

The economy is looking at another difficult year and will need aid, the director of the Serbian Association of Employers (UPS), Srdjan Drobnjakovic, says for eKapija. He adds that, although some exemptions have been adopted, such as the postponement of the payment of taxes and contributions, new charges are becoming due.

– The situation will be difficult and small companies, those with up to 10 employees, family business, entrepreneurs, will be the most affected. They won’t be able to work despite the fact that the tax payment has been split into 24 installments, because new charges are coming, the electricity price is increasing, and suddenly there are ecological fees as well – Drobnjakovic says.

He adds that he is not pessimistic, but that the state needs to react so that there would be no mass layoffs.

– Despite everything, I am not pessimistic and I believe that the state needs to react and prevent the layoffs, because everyone who loses a job will apply at the employment agency and thereby burden the state – Drobnjakovic believes.

He repeats for our portal that he will present, at the session of the Presidency of UPS, the initiative for the state to help SMEs this year as well with three minimum wages for the employees and a new postponement of tax and contribution payment for a period of six months.

He adds that another proposition is to also postpone the payment of the advance income tax and that UPS as launched the initiative for hostels and ethno-houses to be equalized with hotels when it comes to the allocation of state aid.

As potential help to hospitality managers, our interviewee cites the initiative to reduce the rent of vessels that are state-owned and that are rented by hospitality businesses.

I. Milovanovic

Unija poslodavaca Srbije Beograd

Serbian Association of Employers

UPS

Srđan Drobnjaković

minimum wages

postponement of tax and contribution payment

state aid

economy stimulus measures

coronavirus

mass layoffs