Economic opportunities in the municipalities of the North Banat District are improving as the economy performs much better and more stable than in previous years, with a bright spot being exports and a positive balance of foreign trade.
Thanks to investments in the opening of new plants, the number of employees increased and the number of unemployed decreased by 50 percent in the last four years. Earnings are also on the rise, with Kikinda breaking out in the first place in the district after a long period, very close to Senta, which has been leading so far, wages are also evident in Choka, but Kanjiza has been declining even though it was ahead of Kikinda and Senta earlier.
– In addition to the decrease in unemployment, where migrations of the population abroad are often cited as a reason, however, employment is also increasing in real terms as new manufacturing plants and jobs are created. In Kikinda, for example, despite migration and negative natural growth, the number of employees has increased by over 400, employment growth is present in Senta, which was contributed by the expansion of Tisa Automotiv, the opening of Zopas and Mecaphor, as well as in the former Livnica giant “Kikinda” workers are wanted because the new owner has managed to secure more work – says Tibor Horvat, director of the Regional Chamber of Commerce of the North Banat District in Kikinda.
Horvat points out that some companies are constantly open for recruitment, especially as they have a need for quality workforce, especially in Kikinda “Le Belier”, “Zopas”, “Calzedonia”. The plant was opened this year in the former Banini Hall in Kikinda by the Tisa Automotiv company from Senta, which now has 500 employees, but according to Horvat, that meant a lot to the part of the workers who traveled to Senta almost daily for work. They no longer have to spend eight hours in the workplace in traffic. This company is very actively looking for workers for the coming year. It is expanding its capacities in the French company “Mecaphor”.
– There is a need for workers, and unemployment in the county, with 13,694 people seeking work six years ago, has now dropped to 6,845 of those on the National Employment Service. In Kikinda, for example, from 2008, with 7,300 unemployed, that number was reduced to 2,928, or over 60 percent. Most of the unemployed are unskilled with unfinished elementary and elementary school, almost 54 percent, with about 37 percent with secondary education. New investors who have opened or intend to open plants in Kikinda are looking for skilled workforce, not only with a college degree, but good master plumbers, masons, cooks and from the metal profession – from welders, locksmiths and scrapers.
Skilled masters are starting to get decent pay, and we expect the tendency to be even more paid. Realistically, companies will slowly start to race for quality workforce, need to stimulate employees and tie them up with higher wages. We come in a situation where the unemployed, even the employees, can choose and opt for a company where they will work with better conditions – Horvat concludes.
In an exceptionally good foreign trade balance, the largest exporters are the Kikinda Methanol-Vinegar Complex MSK, which accounts for 37 percent, followed by Le Belier, Zopas, Kikinda Foundry, Grindeks, Toza Markovic, Japan Tobacco International’s shadow factory JTI and others. For the first 10 months of this year, businessmen from the region of the North Banat region recorded an export of 373 million euros and are in the 12th place, in the golden mean of all districts, although the North Banat District is one of the smallest in Serbia. The foreign trade balance in terms of exports and imports is 123 million euros in favor of exports, making the North Banat District fifth in Serbia, after South Banat and ahead of the Macvan District.
– Our exports are almost 53 percent higher than imports – Tibor Horvat states. – The largest export of businessmen from our area is realized with Hungary, which in the first ten months of this year amounted to over 30 million euros, with Romania over 18, Italy over 17, Poland almost 11 million euros. It is evident that businessmen from our exporting district cooperate most with EU partners. The situation is similar with imports, with the cooperation with China and Japan here, especially in the import of machinery and raw materials from the USA. It is good to import modern production machines and most of the imports are raw materials, that is, semi-finished products that are further processed and processed for export, and very little from the import we have consumer goods to be consumed in our country.
MSK Methanol-Vinegar Complex and Toza Markovic Factory are expecting new bosses in the coming period, with MSK on the list of strategic companies in the chemical industry, and Toza on its feet after failed privatization and bankruptcy in majority ownership of JP Srbijagas.
Tibor Horvat says that Toza is waiting for the offer of one of the reputable foreign company and that it would be great if it was someone from this industry engaged in the production of tile, which would continue to invest and modernize production, since Kikinda clay and Toza certainly have a place in the market of our country and region.
– It is important for Kikinda and the entire North Banat District that MSK works because it employs over 500 workers and profits if it works at least 11 months a year. MSK exports reach around 100 million euros a year – Horvat said.
