Sitemap

EBRD invested €395 million in Serbia in 2018

CorD Recommends

European Parliament Passes Groundbreaking AI Law

The European Parliament has adopted the Artificial...

European Parliament Members Endorse Western Balkan Reform and Growth Instrument

Members of the European Parliament's committees on...

US Leads Global Oil Production for the Sixth Consecutive Year

The United States has maintained its position...

Balkan Borders Blur as Free Labor Movement Pact Launches

Marking a significant shift in the labor...

Scholz Champions Western Balkans’ Path to Membership

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in Slovenia, advocated for quickening the EU accession for the Western Balkans, underlining the importance...

Wiener Städtische Insurance company is the winner of Dobročinitelj (Benefactor) award

The company Wiener Städtische Insurance received the Dobročinitelj (Benefactor) award for socially responsible activities implemented during 2021, 2022 and...

CEB Grants €1.3 Billion Loans to Boost Social Sectors in 11 Countries

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) has sanctioned loans totaling €1.3 billion for 11 member countries, including Serbia...

Serbia Advances in Renewable Energy with Pupin Wind Park Financing

In a significant stride towards renewable energy adoption, Serbia has finalized the financial arrangements for the Pupin Wind Park,...

Đedović Handanović: Nuclear Energy in Serbia by 2039 at the Earliest

Nuclear energy in Serbia could become a reality by 2039 at the earliest, should work on the project commence...

The EBRD confirmed its commitment to Serbia in 2018, with investments of €395 million in 18 new projects.

Fostering competitiveness of the private sector, supporting regional expansion of Serbian companies, increasing regional connectivity and supporting the green economy remain key priorities of the Bank’s investments in the country.

Total EBRD investments in Serbia have now topped the €5 billion markers.

In investments to promote the private sector, the Bank channelled close to €200 million in credit lines, trade financing and guarantees to local commercial banks that will be used for on-lending to local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Serbian SMEs will now have easier access to finance, which helps them improve their energy efficiency and competitiveness and to facilitate trade.

In its first public-private partnership project in Serbia, the EBRD in 2018 mobilised significant amounts of private finance to fund a major modernisation of the Nikola Tesla airport in Belgrade, Serbia’s main air transportation hub that serves the country and the wider region.

Improving transport links in Serbia was further supported with an additional €22 million loan to Serbia’s national passenger railway company, Srbija Voz, which will use the funds for construction of a new railway depot in Zemun.

Boosting the growth of Serbian companies, in 2018 the Bank supported domestic furniture producer Forma Ideale with €10 million and the leading agribusiness company MK Group with €25 million, helping to promote the expansion of both companies.

Last year also saw a launch of the Green Economy Financing Facility in Serbia, supported by the European Union, Austria and Energy Community, which allows Serbian citizens to benefit from loans coupled with incentive grants to help them improve the energy efficiency of their homes and to reduce electricity bills. In 2018, two local banks, Erste and UniCredit, started providing financing for energy efficiency improvement to Serbian households.

Further fostering the green economy in Serbia, the EBRD successfully implemented a Green Innovation Vouchers programme that boosts the innovation capacity of Serbian companies in the field of green technology and resource efficiency. In its first year, the EBRD-run scheme supported 29 projects with vouchers worth a combined €435,000. The programme is set to continue in 2019.

In the agriculture sector, the EBRD, working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Serbian Grain Association, helped Serbia fulfil the phytosanitary requirements needed to export wheat to Egypt, the world’s largest importer of the crop. The achievement came 30 years after  Serbia stopped exporting wheat to Egypt, and is likely to lead to increased sales of grain, Serbia’s highest value agricultural export.

In 2018, Serbian SMEs continued to benefit from advisory services to improve know-how and export potential. 63 Serbian companies received advisory and coaching while even more women managers improved their leadership skills.

Related Articles

CEB Grants €1.3 Billion Loans to Boost Social Sectors in 11 Countries

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) has sanctioned loans totaling €1.3 billion for 11 member countries, including Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, announced...

Serbia Advances in Renewable Energy with Pupin Wind Park Financing

In a significant stride towards renewable energy adoption, Serbia has finalized the financial arrangements for the Pupin Wind Park, with contracts signed at the...

New ENEF II Fund to Propel Growth in Western Balkans

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced the introduction of the Enterprise Expansion Fund II (ENEF II), aimed at fostering the...

Minister Jovanović Earns Reformer of the Year for Leading Serbia’s Digital Overhaul

Mihailo Jovanović, Serbia's Minister of Information and Telecommunications, has been named Reformer of the Year by the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED),...

31st Kopaonik Business Forum Kicks Off Amid Global Uncertainties

The prestigious Kopaonik Business Forum, now in its 31st year, commenced on the Serbian ski resort of Kopaonik, with a spotlight on "The New...

Serbia’s Agrarian Giants: The Landowners Reshaping the Countryside

A recent survey has revealed Industrija mesa "Matijević" as the leading landholder in Serbia, highlighting significant shifts in the nation's agricultural sector. Close behind...

Ivan Bulajić, Acting Director General, Srbijavoz

Year of Broken Records

Apart from being able to boast of increased passenger numbers and new routes and configurations, Srbijavoz’s Ivan Bulajić also points out that the company...

Danijela Gašparac, Head of Market Research and CEO advisor, Telekom Srbija

Teamwork Makes Dreams Come True

Our interlocutor has worked in marketing since the start of her career and has advanced, step by step, from the position of marketing assistant...