10 Years NALED

NALED is the first organisation to truly succeed in consolidating and synchronising the work of the private and public sectors and to ensure that its main objective is comprehensive and commonly accepted: to create a business-friendly environment that will provide a better life for all Serbia

The Government is open to the idea of including the civil sector in its administrative work and unburdening the administration, which is the trend in the developed world. NALED is a positive example, having developed the e-permit software with help from donors and then handed it over to the state. This was a great help, and other organisations are certainly able to contribute to the common good in the same way.

The first three presidents of NALED’s Managing Board agree that NALED’s greatest successes were to become a partner of the Serbian Government in implementing reforms, to raise the awareness of the public and decision-makers about the importance of dialogue, and to harmonise the interests of different parts of society

"The issue of competitiveness has to be one of the priorities of any government agenda, especially this new one since it is crucial for the regional 'game'…because there is no successful economy without it, here or anywhere else", says our interviewee Goran Pitić, when we put it to him that he is "the staunchest advocate for higher compet¬itiveness of Serbian products and fair competition".

Raising the awareness of citizens about the harmful effects of illegal business

As a socially responsible company, JTI was involved in drafting and implementing the National Programme for Countering the Shadow Economy, which is focusing in particular on improving inspection work

As a member of the NALED and the Fair Competition Alliance, Coca-Cola HBC Serbia will participate actively in implementing the National Programme for Countering the Shadow Economy

NALED will continue to be an integral part of expert groups that will analyse and propose changes to laws regulating the development of local governments

The innovative and capable city administration has applied 21st-century tools and has been able to fulfil its objectives with ease, preserving its long-established reputation as a commercial hub for this part of Europe

Most people will behave honestly if they think others will. But if they expect the law will not be enforced, they will accept criminal behaviour without complaint even if they are its victims, and no amount of policing will help

Cooperation between the business and other sectors is indispensable for the creation of sustainable communities and a better environment for citizens

Serbia has begun digitalisation of the state administration and it is my belief that this trend will continue in future, benefiting both businesses and the general public

Both Telenor and NALED are celebrating 10 years of successful operation in Serbia. NALED was among the first to recognise the importance of e-government, and in cooperation with IBM experts it has produced a credible study that should serve as a basis for further development of e-government in Serbia

Over the years, NALED has grown into a leading institution in Serbia and the region. Its ability to unite local self-governments, SMEs, and civil society makes it one of the key forces behind Serbia’s reform achievements and makes NALED an important partner for U.S. Government-supported economic growth projects

The European Commission has recommended opening a further chapter – on bringing Serbian public procurement into line with EU standards, a crucial step in tackling corruption. Beyond that, Serbia is working on its negotiating position for a number of other chapters, so I am confident that we will see further movement in the next few months.

Effective, efficient and transparent local government benefits business, which in turn precipitates stronger overall development across a country as a whole

Indian companies are looking at privatization opportunities in Serbia including in agro-machinery and pharma. At the same time, NALED has done a lot in the last decade to improve the business environment, growing ties between business leaders of India and Serbia and contributing to the traditionally good relations between Belgrade and New Delhi

The main Israeli investors came following the democratic changes in 2000. Overall investment reached around €1 billion over the years and is mainly focused on the real estate sector which made us the top investor in this sector in Serbia