German companies will continue to invest and realize their investments in Serbia – German Chamber of Commerce (AHK) President and Hemofarm CEO Ronald Zeliger told Tanjug. – We have come here for the long haul and so we will continue. I say this to you on behalf of my company and also on behalf of other German companies.
He added that German companies also plan to expand their investments in Serbia.
According to him, AHK are very proud of the fact that at the time of the crisis, the companies retained all their employees, and that Hemofarm even employed additional employees.
Regarding new investments, he noted that, nevertheless, much depends on the situation and demand in the global market and that therefore no plans can be made yet, but it is clear that “German companies in Serbia are not visitors” but someone who has been operating in this country for exactly 20 years, which clearly indicates that they have come to stay.
Zeliger said that the serious intentions of German investors were also evident from the assistance they provided to Serbian institutions during the crisis.
According to him, German companies – members of the AHK donated more than one and a half million euros to help Serbia fight the epidemic, and Hemofarm alone donated medical equipment worth 400,000 euros.
German company Stada and Hemofarm in Serbia on Monday donated 110 monitors to help Serbia’s health system fight coronavirus to monitor patients’ vital functions.
– Also, through its foundation, Hemofarm has assisted the local governments of Vrsac and Sabac, which has factories, he added. – This is not done if you came to stay for a while. We have shown that we are a reliable partner during the crisis.
Asked if German economic prospects could affect German firms in Serbia, given the announcement that unemployment would rise by about 30 percent in Germany due to the coronavirus pandemic and its economic consequences, Zeliger said he personally did not expect high level, nor that it will be as bad in that country as some predict. He added that it would certainly take some time for the German economy to recover.
– All economies today have a global character, as they depend on what is happening in the world, but this situation could be a great chance for some as the closure of borders, which first hit countries like China, India and others in Asia, interrupted supply chains and led to thinking about localization of production – he stated.
That is why, as he said, Serbia, as a European country, has a great chance in relation to EU countries, and therefore every effort should be made to seize this opportunity.
Zeliger pointed out that German companies in Serbia are present in a wide range of industries, for example, energy, automotive, pharmaceuticals, FMCG and many others.
When asked if they have problems in business, Zeliger stated that the different situation is from industry to industry, and that, for example, in the automotive industry the biggest problem is the current lack of demand for cars, which affects other things.
He added, however, that some of the more technologically advanced factories in Serbia (Fort Front of Technology) were less affected by the crisis than others.
The government has done a pretty good job
Zeliger pointed out that the Serbian government had done a pretty good job of helping the economy with the package, given that nobody was prepared enough for this crisis, and that health was an absolute priority.
He noted that in most countries more or less similar measures are being implemented.
Zeliger added that no one yet knew how much the economy would suffer as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, but that in the end, it would depend on each company individually how it would overcome this crisis, Dnevnik reports.
