EU helps Serbian education system improvement

Belgrade June 26. 2010. (Serbia Today) - The European Union will invest three million EUR to support programs that encourage greater inclusion of Roma children into the education system in Serbia, it was announced at the conference "Education for All". Conference in Belgrade was organized by delegation of the EU and the Serbian Ministry of Education. It was announced that 1.8 million will be invest through the project "Education for all", while the remaining 1.2 million will be used for school equipment. The money should be used during next two years. Through the project "Education for All" pedagogical assistants are trained to be "a link between

Belgrade’s pharmaceutical company Galenika has new plant

 
 
Belgrade, June, 26. (Serbia Today) - On Monday The Galenika pharmaceutical company opened a new factory for the production of solid pharmaceutical products in which EUR 50mn has been invested, said reports. Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said at the opening ceremony that the investments would enable the company to be competitive in the domestic market and in exports. Galenika General Director Nenad Ognjenovic said that the capacity of the new factory will be two billion tablets and 100 million capsules annually, and that the yearly value of the products will be EUR 100mn. Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic said that the Serbian government has definitely given up from the privatization of Galenika after the tender has not reported any company that would have been stronger than Galenika itself.

Serbian market has perspective

 
Belgrade, June 25. 2010. (Serbia Today) – About 80 foreign companies are showing great interest in investing in projects in Serbia, said on Tuesday the director of the Agency for Foreign Investments (SIEPA) Bozidar Laganin. He announced that this year will bring good news to Serbia with new investments and an increase in exports, and pointed out as an example recent fair in Algeria, which is Serbia’s largest business partner in Africa adding that there was great potential for Serbian export-oriented companies in that country. “Serbian construction and food production companies have had the most interest shown in them coming from Algeria”, said Laganin and added that Serbian company sold its exhibition pieces which were machines that are used in the paper industry Speaking of the automobile industry, the interest was participatory high when it came to the production of auto parts, and according to Laganin the Serbian government has recognized this sector as one of the most important in our economy. “The agency has received the possibility of additionally motivating foreign and domestic investors to enter into Serbian production factories, and every new job opening will be stimulated with EUR 10,000”, he said. Laganin said that as far as the macroeconomic situation in the country was concerned, “trends from the first quarter are encouraging, which show that there has been an increase in exports by 18 percent and an increase in imports of three percent.”

South Korea invest in Serbia

Belgrade, June , 25. 2010. (Serbia Today) - South Korean Yura Corporation, which recently bought Zastava Elektro in Rača, will begin building another factory in Serbia. As B92 reported the company’s Director Lukas Nam has stated that they would start building a plant in the southern town of Niš to manufacture auto installations. The factory is expected to cover some 20,000 square meters, while the construction is expected to start in the first half of 2012. “I’m currently in negotiations with the government and the local self-government of the City of Niš about the possibility to realize a greenfield investment. The factory which will be built in Niš will be a lot bigger than the one in Rača.” “I can tell you that it will probably be even three times bigger. According to my business plan, at least EUR 15mn will be invested in the building and equipment,” Nam said, and added that 1,500 jobs would be created in this way.

China is donating MUP, VMA

Belgrade, June , 24. 2010. (Serbia Today) - China will donate EUR 1.5mn to the Serbian Interior Ministry (MUP) and the Military Medical Academy (VMA), said finance Minister Diana Dragutinovic, after her meeting on Monday with a Chinese delegation headed by Deputy Minister and Director of the General Administration of Customs Sun Yibiao. The most important projects Serbia is discussing with China are the construction of the Zemun-Borca bridge, the Kostolac thermal power plant and the acquisition of machines for non-invasive checks at border crossings which will reduce smuggling. Serbian minister noted that there were no unresolved issues or problems in the economic cooperation between the two countries and thanked China for the USD 17mn in drugs and medical equipment it donated to Serbia after the 1999 NATO bombing.

Mrkonjic: Plan for infrastructure priorities

Belgrade, June 22. 2010. (Serbia Today) - Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjić said that the plan for confirming traffic infrastructure priorities for the next ten years has been adopted. “General directions are related to basic forms of transportation—roads, railways, air and water. As far as roads are concerned, we are talking about Corridor 10 and Corridor 11,” Mrkonjić said. He told Radio Television Serbia there would be an adaptation of the ports through air travel, while Corridor 7, which is the Danube River, will be the main priority for water travel. “The most important fact is that in the coming ten years of the program for the development of Serbia, as far as infrastructure is concerned, we will be investing in between EUR 1bn and EUR 1.5bn annually,” Mrkonjić said. He added that some of the money would be secured from European and World banks, but that the rest would be secured by commercial assets. The meeting of the National Council for Infrastructure was held late on Friday and presided over by President Boris Tadić.

Austria invest in Serbia

Belgrade, June, 21.  2010. (Serbia Today) Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić announced  that the pillar of the furniture industry in Serbia will in future be Austrian wood panel board producer Kronospan. He made the statement during the opening ceremony for the factory in Lapovo, central Serbia. Dinkić underlined that this was the second largest greenfield investment in Serbia. “Taking into consideration that we are able to realize duty-free export to markets that have over a billion consumers, including the market of the Russian Federation as of July 1, this plant will have an increasing strategic importance”, said Dinkić and announced the arrival of other foreign furniture production companies, primarily those based in Italy.  Dinkić also mentioned the data that the factory employs 160 workers, while it is planned to employ about 300 people, and that about 2000 workers are employed in the procurement sector. He underscored that the situation in this poor municipality will improve, since Lapovo has an industrial zone located next to pan-European Corridor 10. “It is precisely due to this type of investments that Serbia recorded a five percent increase in industrial output in the first four months of 2010, and an 18 percent increase in export compared to the respective period in 2009”, Dinkić said.