The process of deglobalization in certain sectors, which was especially contributed by the crisis caused by the corona virus, may be a chance for Serbia, as well as for the region, said the President of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK) and General Director of Hemofarm Ronald Zeliger.
At the same time, Zeliger points out in an interview with Tanjug that the commitment of German companies to do business in Serbia has remained unchanged.
“We live in a global world and every business is affected by the crisis, but when we look at our companies, they are doing their best. Some industries are better, some worse. However, the commitment of German companies to Serbia is unchanged,” Zeliger pointed out.
When asked what the growth projections and expectations of the Serbian authorities mean for their business, that Serbia will best go through the crisis caused by Covid19, Zeliger said that it is important for all investors, regardless of where they come from:
“If the country manages to get through the crisis in a good way, it will help all businessmen and companies that operate in it. But this is not a competition. The essence is to help those who have huge problems and who need help,” he explained.
German investors, as well as Serbian and any other, will, as he says, benefit if the necessary balance is found.
“We are pleased to be able to give advice or share experiences from Germany with the Serbian government, in order to find that balance, because it is very difficult,” Zeliger said.
When asked to compare Serbia and Germany in terms of measures to support the economy, Zeliger says that it is very ungrateful.
It is not fair, he notes, to compare the two countries, because Germany has literally “pumped” billions, big money, even compared to Italy or Spain. On the other hand, he points out that the Government of Serbia has stabilized the budget in previous years and invested significant funds to help the economy.
“Is that enough?” “It is never enough and we will only see in the coming months what the impact of this crisis is,” Zeliger underlined.
For example, he points out that even in Germany, despite all the measures, many shops are closed, because sometimes even that help is not enough, nor can everyone be helped.
Asked how much the “coronacrisis” has affected German investors in Serbia, he reminded that the history of German investments is “very strong”, that the trade between the two countries has doubled in recent years, while German companies in Serbia employ between 60 .000 and 70. 000 workers.
He said that the first thing the companies did after the outbreak of the epidemic was to provide for their employees, and then to adapt to the new situation and stabilize their business.
Some companies have postponed their projects, but the business model has not changed, says Zeliger, who is convinced that many companies will restart projects.
As for Hemofarm, Zeliger pointed out that nothing in the business has changed due to the pandemic and that there is a strategic plan that is consistently implemented.
“Business operations of companies, due to the corona crisis, have certainly been disrupted, because the economy has been facing an abnormal situation in recent months, which was valid for everyone,” Zeliger noted.
In this regard, he said that there were stories on social networks that toilet paper manufacturers, as much as there was demand at the time, could buy Apple, because the value of their products dropped. He is convinced, however, that “everything will come to its own”.
Asked about possible new investments from Germany, Zeliger points out that the main investments come from companies that are already in Serbia.
“When you look at Siemens, Hemofarm and some others, we invest constantly in expansion. We invest a lot every year, maybe more than those coming to this market for the first time. It’s something about internal planning, without public screenings and festivities,” he explained. He pointed out that Hemofarm invests an average of 20 million euros a year in Serbia.
According to him, Hemofarm did not postpone anything and raised production to the highest level ever, with the determination to continue like that. He said that Hemofarm produces seven billion tablets a year, and that when employees know that people depend on those drugs, then that makes them proud and even more responsible.
Zeliger reminded that German investments are traditionally focused on the automotive industry, plastics and electronics, which will remain in the future, adding that he knows many companies that are interested in IT products in Serbia.
“I have been in Serbia for a long time, I love this country. There is a focus on the Balkans. Serbian products are good for export, not only to European but also other markets, and I am grateful for the government’s efforts to conclude export agreements with many countries,” he said.
As for the relocation of strategic production from Asia to Europe, Zeliger noted that during the pandemic, the global supply chain, which is very important in the pharmaceutical industry, was disrupted, so India “closed” exports, China reduced it, and some others countries have realized that they have to rely on themselves.
“However, due to the production price, I do not see that anything will change quickly, since every eurocent can decide which drug will be used in therapy. Due to that fact, Serbia can be in focus,” he added.
He pointed out that Hemofarm in Serbia has been producing antibiotics for many years, as well as 3,500 products for the entire STADA group.
“If politicians want some production in their own country, they have to make sure that it is profitable. We invest a lot in ecology, we have high business standards, so we produce a little more expensive than in Asia,” he added.
“As the Chamber of Commerce of Germany, we will do everything to shift the focus to Serbia, because who is a better ambassador than a businessman,” he said.
In the end, Zeliger notes that the Government of Serbia is very focused on maintaining the stability of the health system, and in that, he says, Hemofarm, as a pharmaceutical company, is a natural partner, which is why they are talking to the authorities to see what they can do to provide support.
It is crucial, he emphasizes, to listen to the advice of experts.
“There is one big country that is proud of Disneyland and other things. However, it was now clear that they are not open to listening to expert advice and there is a catastrophe, in terms of the number of cases of infected and deceased. Something like that should not happen in a “first world” country. Governments that listened to the experts managed to cope well with this situation. The key to success is to listen to the advice of experts,” Zeliger said, Kurir reports.
