The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced that it has supported the economy in Serbia in 2020 with new investments worth 679 million euros.
As specified, 576 million euros were placed with the private sector and small businesses, through direct financing or through financial institutions.
Also, through the program for recovery from the consequences of the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the EBRD through an emergency procedure placed 145 million euros to commercial banks to maintain liquidity of the economy and small and medium enterprises, and this program will be active in 2021, if banks need additional liquidity to support the economy.
For the construction of better infrastructural connections in the country and the region, the EBRD has provided a loan of 85 million euros for the construction of the Nis-Plocnik section of the “Peace Highway”, it is stated in the announcement.
In addition to road infrastructure, the EBRD has also supported Serbia to improve digital infrastructure and finance a project to build an optical broadband network in rural areas, giving more than 600 schools in villages access to the Internet.
It is also reminded that the construction of a new landfill and plant for the production of energy from waste in Vinca started last year, and that the EBRD supports this project with a syndicated loan of 128 million euros.
It was pointed out that the EBRD’s priorities in Serbia for this year will be to help the economy recover from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and to promote green and sustainable growth, along with investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.
The EBRD will also continue to work with commercial banks to improve access to finance for Serbian small businesses, with a special focus on young entrepreneurs, N1 reports.
