Incentive agreements delivered - 22 companies to hire 5,000 people and invest EUR 120 million
(at the agreement signing ceremony)
Minister of Finance and Economy Mladjan Dinkic today delivered agreements to domestic and foreign companies that plan to take on 5,000 new workers during the next three years and invest €120 million in opening factories throughout Serbia, it was announced on the Serbian government's website.
Dinkic stressed that the government’s priority was to combat unemployment and attract investment, adding that agreements had been delivered to companies from Europe, the United States and China, which shows that Serbia was open to investors from all over the world.
He observed that 11 of the 22 companies that had received agreements were domestic companies that would mostly invest in the food and light industries, while 11 foreign ones would invest in the electronics industry.
This year we will earmark RSD 6.5 billion in the budget for these purposes, while the plan for 2013 is to set aside RSD 8 billion, the Minister specified, noting that that was the most efficient manner to invest funds.
Apart from the Italian footwear producer Geox, with whom Serbia has recently signed an agreement, the second greatest investor is Cooper Standard, a US company that will invest €20 million and hire 500 workers for its car parts factory in Sremska Mitrovica, Dinkic added.
He voiced his expectation that that would encourage other American investors to come and invest in the automotive industry in Serbia.
Director of the Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA) Bozidar Laganin noted that 22 companies had received subsidies totalling €3.2million.
The employment incentives are granted to the following companies: Gorenje aparati za domacinstva Valjevo (EUR 18.72 million/400), Milsped (EUR 2.26 million/200), Lenada Baljevac (EUR 2.54 million/143), Fulgar East Zrenjanin (EUR 3.3 million/60), Proleter Ivanjica (EUR 2.6 million/171), Cooper Standard Balkan (EUR 20.14 million/500), Power Symbol Technology Belgrade (EUR 1 million/35), Technic Development/ Geox (EUR 15.18 million/1,250), Agroplod Prijepolje (EUR 800,000/50), Aunde Srbija Belgrade (EUR 1.4 million/100), Meggle Srbija Kragujevac (EUR 1.5 million/50), Plastika Nova Varos (EUR 1 million/85), Jeanci konfekcija tekstil industrija i trgovina Leskovac (EUR 6 million/760), Dedro Pro Cacak-Nova Sumadija Grocka (EUR 1.5 million/98), Tajfun Ris - Tajfun Planina Slovenia (EUR 6 million/85), Seavus (EUR 782,615/30), Greenprode Investment Turska (EUR 5.24 million/100), TZR & Katarina Mladenovac (EUR 1 million/56), Eurogate Sportswear (EUR 4 million/600), Confectionery Plant Paracinka (EUR 1.1 million/70), Elektrawinds NV-Energo Zelena (EUR 15.5 million/72), Alubond Europe Banatski Karlovac (EUR 6.6 million/64).