The strategic plan for investing in the startup ecosystem is long-term and well set in the program of the Government of Serbia, Nebojsa Djurdjevic, director of the “Digital Serbia” Initiative, assessed for RTS. He believes that it is necessary to change the Law on Foreign Exchange Operations and enable Serbian companies a more favorable position in relation to global competition.
Continuation of digitalization is one of the priorities of the Government of Serbia. Nebojsa Djurdjevic emphasizes that there are very positive things in that plan that are long-term and well-established, and one of them is a strategic investment in the startup ecosystem.
Djurdjevic pointed out for Jutarnji dnevnik that the plan focuses on the development of components that are crucial so that in the next five years, this startup ecosystem, which has great potential, could be sustainable for private investments and continue to grow on its own.
Amend the Law on Foreign Exchange Operations
He also stated that they should be in the plan, and now they are not there and that hinders the digital economy, changes in the Law on Foreign Exchange Operations. He assessed that the law puts a lot of burden on Serbian companies to put them in an unfavorable position in relation to regional and global competition, and that, as he pointed out, it practically prevents the introduction of innovative models and practices that are already common in the world.
“There are solutions, we believe that the basic problems can be solved and that would lead to an increase in foreign exchange inflows, because foreign investments would increase, as well as the income of our companies coming from abroad,” Djurdjevic believes.
IT sectors differently affected by the pandemic
He expects that there will still be higher income from the export of IT services than from the export of raspberries. He said that the IT sector was also affected by the pandemic, but that there was a difference.
He pointed out that there are some sectors, such as gaming, where there has been practically a great growth, because people sit at home and have more fun, but that, on the other hand, those IT companies that are related to travel, catering, have a big decline.
“However, all in all because the pandemic is obviously going on, one sees a global trend that at least in terms of companies, investments continue and they will use this period to upgrade their systems and prepare for the next product, which means there is work to be done in IT companies for that sector,” concluded Nebojsa Djurdjevic, RTS reports.
