RSD 16.6 billion ready for SMEs in 2017 – Employment of additional 150,000 workers by 2027 planned

Minister of Economy Goran Knezevic announced today that RSD 16.6 billion would be set aside for support to small and medium enterprises in 2017, of which RSD 4.5 billion as grants.

– The biggest potential for economic growth lies in small and medium enterprises – Knezevic said and added that the Year of Entrepreneurship had been extended to a whole decade.

He also said that the employment of 150,000 people in the sector by 2027 was expected, as well an increase in the number of enterprises.

According to him, this will influence the growth and the development of the economy and improve the life of the citizens.

Knezevic said that 2016 was a year of stabilization and that Serbia had achieved excellent results in the macroeconomic field.

– The results have given us a great hope and an opportunity to move on to the next phase of the growth and the development, entailing new investments and an economy oriented towards development – Knezevic said.

According to him, the aim is to make the Serbian economy competitive and achieving good results.

Knezevic announced that the focus would be placed on investments in the next period and added that the arrival of foreign investors, as well as local investors and employment of new workers would continue to be subsidized.

Regarding the Ministry of Economy's budget, it was reported yesterday that around RSD 1.22 billion would be set aside for the development of entrepreneurship in 2017.