President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SCC) Marko Cadez said that confirmation of the announced investment of one of the two major car giants with which the state is negotiating investments in Serbia would be the best news, in a series of pessimistic scenarios for the global economy and bad news from the international environment due to the Ukrainian crisis.
“That would be great news in happier and more carefree times, let alone in these circumstances,” Cadez said in an interview with 24sedam.
He emphasized that analysts are more and more complex, and businessmen are more and more worried, that the consequences of the Ukrainian crisis on a global level will be much bigger, far-reaching and more complex than the consequences of the crown pandemic.
“Businessmen are worried not only about difficult access to the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian markets and the need to find alternative markets for product placement and procurement of raw materials imported from that region in a short time, but also disruptions of global supply chains that cause supply and demand imbalances”, in supply, record inflation rates worldwide, rising costs of both production and trade, “Cadez explained.
When it comes to challenges in the European, and especially German, as the strongest car industry, with which domestic suppliers are connected, Cadez said that the companies operating here have not reported major specific difficulties in the past month and a half, except those facing the entire economy and especially the metal sector.
“Manufacturers of auto parts currently have some raw materials and raw materials in stock and production is generally uninterrupted, but there is a certain reduction in old orders. Some companies operating in Serbia are quite optimistic, because they expect additional work on new projects after termination. factories in Ukraine, Russia and suspensions in Europe, “Cadez said.
Stating that the European Union (EU) was and remains our most important economic partner, Cadez pointed out that the continuation of negative trends in the European economy due to the Ukrainian crisis would affect the business of the Serbian economy and would be a basic risk for achieving projected rates growth.
“According to preliminary data for March on trade with the world, the Serbian economy is holding up well so far, despite all the problems brought by the Ukrainian crisis,” Cadez said.
Commenting on the situation on the energy market on the Serbian economy, Cadez said that we cannot influence the prices of oil and gas, as imported energy sources, but that he believes that the gas negotiations will bring Serbia a lower price, more favorable than the market price.
What, as he pointed out, we can talk about on behalf of the economy, are the prices of electricity from domestic production, which will, of course, increase.
“It is necessary to find a solution that will be acceptable for the industry after June 30, so that it can pay and EPS so that it can produce,” Cadez said.
Referring to the lifting of the ban on the export of grain, flour and oil, he said that it was good, but that, from the point of view of the economy, it would be better if it was done earlier, that quotas were set for several months and that final products were free export regime.
Since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, PKS has established an information center with the most up-to-date information important for companies exporting to Russia and Ukraine.
According to reports that monitor the situation on a daily basis, exports to Russia are difficult for now, because the goods travel for a month, but, Cadez said, the worst-case scenario for our exporters would be that the new EU restrictions on Russia completely reduce road traffic. suspend.
When asked whether the economy can expect new support packages, Cadez answered that the SCC is in constant contact with businessmen and the Government.
“Eventual state aid packages this time should be much more selective than covid packages, in accordance with the previous detailed assessment of the most endangered segments of the economy,” Cadez said, Novi Magazin reports.
