The state has invested 11 to 12 million euros in Geox, and 25 million has returned to the budget only through taxes and contributions, said today the Minister of Finance, Sinisa Mali.
Commenting on the closure of the Geox factory in Vranje, Mali said that the state, for its part, respected everything that was agreed.
“We invested 11 to 12 million euros in Geox, and 25 million returned to our budget only through taxes and contributions for employees who worked there. President Vucic has started the whole mechanism for people to get employed again,” said Mali as a guest on Happy TV.
He says that the state also attracts capital-intensive projects, research and development centers, etc.
“It is a strategy for the development of economic policy. We want to raise the average salary. They did not believe President Vucic when he said that it would be 500 euros in 2019, and we have long ago surpassed that figure. The average salary in May was over 560 euros,” he stated.
He also referred to the increase in the minimum price of labor in Serbia and noted that the state’s position is to increase it despite the pandemic and economic crisis.
“The growth of the minimum wage significantly affects the growth of the average wage in Serbia. Our primary interest is to increase the living standard of citizens. Our strategy is to increase the minimum wage, increase the average wage and living standards in Serbia. It is not the same as when you have 25.9 percent unemployment and when you have nine estimates. There is more competition on the labor market, and it is logical that salaries are higher. The strategy is for young people not to leave, to give them the opportunity for employment, but also a salary close to the salary abroad. That is why we are working on increasing salaries,” he said.
According to him, the project “My first salary” was launched last year, which was successful, which is why it will be repeated this year, Politika reports.
