Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic said today that Serbia could be among the top 10 countries on the World Bank’s Doing Business list, which ranks countries by business conditions, reminding that it has already taken ninth place in the world in the system of issuing construction permits.
“We want to be among the top 10 and in all other areas, it is not enough to be only in issuing construction permits. We have shown that we can improve business conditions every year,” she said at the presentation of the 13th edition of the Gray Book of Recommendations for Better Business Conditions in Serbia, organized by the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED).
Mihajlovic, who is also the president of the government’s working group for improving Serbia’s position on the World Bank’s Doing Business list, reminded that in 2020, which was difficult due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Serbian government adopted an Action Plan for further improvement of business conditions from 2021 to 2023.
As examples of what has already been done in accordance with that plan, she cited the Bankruptcy Law, the Law on Licensing of Bankruptcy Trustees.
“I think that great changes have been made by amendments to the Law on Cadastre, because it is important to have electronic advertising and download solutions. All that helped that no investor left Serbia in 2020,” said the minister.
Mihajlovic also pointed out that there will be no progress in the Serbian economy if energy, ie energy transition, is not taken into account at the same time, while at the same time taking care of the environment.
“In order to be able to have energy security and be self-sufficient in some areas, while preserving the environment, four laws in the field of energy have been prepared and submitted to the Government for opinion, and they are expected to be adopted soon,” she said.
She reminded that for the first time, a special Law on Renewable Energy Sources (RES) was made, which should enable the increase of electricity and heat production from the Olympics.
She specified that the institution of auction, ie competition between producers, is included in the law, as well as that consumers can also be producers, and that solar panels can also be on sports halls, on houses and residential buildings.
She also emphasized that the construction of derivation mini hydro power plants in protected areas will not be allowed, because they will not provide energy security, and the environment will be preserved.
There are also laws on mining, energy and energy efficiency.
According to her, increasing energy efficiency is another direction that Serbia should take, ie everything should be done so that the national goal is to reduce energy consumption, and the state will help as much as it can through the Energy Efficiency Fund.
As she added, it must no longer be sporadic by individual local governments or buildings and by material status, but must be a national goal.
She also pointed out that new investments in medium and large hydro power plants will follow in the energy sector, “because Serbia must gradually reduce the production from thermal power plants, ie low-quality lignite,” Danas reports.
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