The recent crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic has hit micro, small and medium-sized enterprises the hardest. As they are the most important driver of economic growth, it is important that the state devises support strategies, and that there is a dialogue among businessmen themselves as well.

On the occasion of marking the Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, the Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina, in cooperation with the EU Info Point from Novi Sad, gathered businessmen to present joint activities that can help them in their further business.

Martin Klaucke, from the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, confirmed in his video address that micro, small and medium enterprises are the backbone of the Serbian economy, and added that the EU wants to support this sector with various programmes, mostly by providing support to young people.

“We are working on improving the access to financing, so EUR 76.5 million is allocated for Serbian economy to encourage reforms in the field of competition, innovation and commercialisation of research and development. 11 million will be used for procurement of new equipment, while 31.5 million will be allocated for the development of Science Fund“, said Klaucke.

Exchange of information is always important and the Chamber of Commerce is a perfect place for gathering all businessmen, said Boško Vučurević, President of Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina, in his address.

“This group of companies is the most important driver of economic growth. According to the data of the Serbian Business Registers Agency, there were 28,000 registered companies in Vojvodina in 2020, of which about 85% are SMEs. When you add the total number of entrepreneurs we see how much strength and potential there is. This is an increasingly strong sector in the Serbian economy that contributes to the growth of GDP. The unity of the executive power is important for us to create a real economic environment, and within the Chamber, there is a parliament of entrepreneurs who decide on issues important for their work and growth,” said Vučurević.

Support to companies includes financial and non-financial support, which were presented on this occasion through the presentation of current public competitions of the Provincial Secretariat, activities of the Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina in the segment of entrepreneurship and SME sector, as well as information on Enterprise Europe Network, Mobilise SME and Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs.

EU support to the Serbian economy is significant. 203 micro and small enterprises were supported through the EU PRO programme with over EUR 4.3 million in grants. The companies in question are primarily engaged in the production of food, furniture, textiles and clothing, wood and metal processing.

Photo: Shutterstock

Serbian businessmen will have several new EU competitions to which they can apply in the future.

  1. During the summer, the Innovation Fund will launch a public competition for the submission of projects in the tech world;
  2. EU PRO will continue in rural areas of Serbia, within which 6 calls for expression of interest will be launched;
  3. Through the European Investment Bank, refinancing for commercial banks and loan guarantees continue so that SMEs can obtain loans with favourable conditions;
  4. A new programme for the support to the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises will be launched in cooperation with the Development Agency of Serbia.

There are also other smaller programmes available, such as Erasmus for Entrepreneurs. These activities support the short-term and long-term priorities of Serbia in terms of EU accession, while at the same time supporting the goals of micro, small and medium enterprises, and ultimately the economy and citizens of Serbia.

Video of the entire event