First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Siniša Mali said that the government is working on finding a solution for the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS) and emphasized that the state will not allow the country’s energy stability and security to be jeopardized.
“We have managed to solve every problem we’ve faced so far, always focusing on ordinary people and their needs. We will resolve these major issues as well, but we will not neglect the smaller ones that are equally important for the daily lives of our citizens,” Mali said.
Speaking to TV Pink, he noted that the situation with NIS has created some uncertainty regarding the assessment the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will deliver on Serbia tomorrow.
“We had a very important and difficult discussion with the IMF. We have fulfilled all our reform goals and will continue to do so. Let me remind you — Serbia is the only country in the Western Balkans with an investment-grade credit rating and the only EU candidate country holding that rating,” Mali said.
He added that as of this morning, Serbia’s state account held 459 billion dinars, reflecting the country’s financial stability.
“We have slightly lower growth than planned because of the recent blockades. Without them, salary and pension increases would have been even higher. We’ll see what happens in two days when the IMF completes its review — and then we move forward,” he said.
Mali stated that the blockades have caused damage to the state, but expressed confidence that “Serbia will recover everything lost over the past 11 months.”
“This is just an attempt to stop Serbia’s progress — an attempt to push the country backward and seize power through street protests. Croatian media are strongly supporting the protests in Serbia, so let’s see which foreign and domestic actors want to destabilize our country. Ultimately, the citizens will decide for themselves,” Mali said.
He concluded by saying that he does not want to waste time on the blockades and that the government remains committed to pursuing a responsible economic policy.
