Today, the Minister of Finance, Sinisa Mali, signed the Interstate Agreement on Investment Encouragement with the US Ambassador, Anthony Godfrey.
“The agreement is of great economic importance for the development of Serbia and the realization of high growth rates, which the Government defined in the budget for 2021,” said Mali after signing the agreement.
He pointed out that the agreement is a precondition for signing and realization of the guarantee scheme that Serbia will do together with the American International Development Corporation (DFC).
“This is a guarantee scheme of one billion dollars, which will be available to Serbian companies for liquidity, working capital and investments,” Mali explained.
He added that it was confirmed that the agreement from Washington, signed in September last year, is still being applied, and that today’s signatures open the door for further cooperation with the American administration.
“The signing of such an agreement reflects the trust that the American administration has in the economic reforms that have been implemented in Serbia, as well as in the prospects for the growth of our economy,” the minister pointed out.
He also reminded that the existing credit guarantee scheme that Serbia has made with commercial banks has certainly contributed to the country avoiding mass layoffs and closures.
“About 23,000 companies have already used 1.5 billion euros of the existing guarantee scheme,” said Mali.
He said that the growth rate that Serbia wants to achieve this year is six percent, and that in a couple of weeks, citizens and businessmen will come out with another package of economic aid measures.
The American ambassador stated that today’s agreement shows the commitment of the USA to the economic future of Serbia.
“Serbia has our support to achieve its goal of full European integration,” Godfrey pointed out.
He also stated that the agreement will enable DFC to use its entire spectrum of financial instruments, and the goal is to use these instruments to mobilize new investments in Serbia, not only foreign but also investments of Serbian companies.
The director of the DFC office in Serbia, John Jovanovic, said that Serbia was one of the first countries in the region to sign an agreement with that financial institution on encouraging investments.
“I hope that with the financial support of the DFC, we will increase the number of new investments, create new jobs and help the citizens of Serbia,” said Jovanovic.
He also said that the presence of the DFC confirms the readiness of the United States, together with European partners, to expand financial support to Serbia, in order to help it realize its European future.
“DFC’s priority is financial support to small and medium enterprises in Serbia to overcome the economic consequences of the corona virus, all through private commercial banks,” Jovanovic explained, Danas reports.
