The Serbian government and Gorenje, a leading home appliances producer, concluded Monday a preliminary agreement on new joint investments to expand the scope of production of home appliances in Serbia.
The joint ventures include factories in Zajecar, Valjevo and Stara Pazova, according to a statement from the Serbian Ministry of Finance and Economy.
This means that about 700 new jobs should be created in Gorenje’s factories in Serbia and their production increased from EUR 108 million to 230 million in the next three years.
It is estimated that that exports should increase from the EUR 95 million in 2012 to 210 million euros in 2016.
According to the preliminary agreement, Gorenje will be procuring at least 40 percent of the components and raw materials from local enterprises, indirectly increasing the number of new jobs in this way.
Gorenje has invested EUR 100 million in Serbia and currently employs about 1.300 people, and the number of indirect jobs is constantly increasing through expansion of the network of local suppliers.
Gorenje exports more than 90 percent of its Serbian production to the markets of Russia, Germany, Ukraine, Croatia, and Slovenia.
The Serbian government will invest EUR 15 million and become a minority owner in Gorenje Srbija by January 31, 2015.
The money will primarily be used to enlarge and modernize the washing machine production factory in Zajecar. A total of EUR 22 million will be jointly invested in the factory’s new facilities, equipment and information system over the next two years.
About 200 new jobs will be opened in the factory, which will produce washing and drying machines of the Gorenje and Panasonic brands. Gorenje signed a strategic partnership agreement with Panasonic a few days ago.
The annual production plan for the Zajecar factory is 450,000 washing machines, most of which will be exported.
Gorenje is a leading European manufacturer of home appliances, present in 70 countries and employing more than 10,700 people.
Source Tanjug
