INTERVIEW
Persisting With Reforms
MOST IMPORTANT GORAN PITIĆ PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE SERBIA
The economic performance of Serbia, as a small country exposed to geopolitical influences, will be dependent on the direction and intensity of these influences. However, what is of utmost importance is whether the commitment to reform will resist various inevitable populist pressures
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ifteen years after the democratic changes, Serbia is again confronted by some of the issues we had at the beginning of the third millennium, and which the “colour” of its future will depend on, says Goran Pitic, President of the Board of Directors of Société Générale Serbia, speaking in this interview for CorD.
■ What do you think are realistic expectations in terms of eco-
nomic growth in Serbia in the following three years; are you more inclined towards the conservative forecasts of the IMF, EBRD and the Fiscal Council, or the government’s more optimistic expectations?
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124 February 2015 | www.cordmagazine.com
- Great challenges lie ahead for Serbia, but also many other economies in the world. The world has new geopolitical hot spots opening up that may prove a substantial burden on the functioning of the global political and economic system, while on the economic front there are a lot of unknowns that will influence the predictability of global economic trends in the years ahead. Serbia, as a small country, is exposed to those influences and the performance of its economy will depend on their direction and intensity to a great extent. However, the most important factor is what happens with us and whether the commitment to reform, and the steps already taken in this direction, will prove to be a long-term commitment that will resist various inevitable populist pressures in the years ahead of us. Important preconditions for the success of this process include strengthening the reform capacity of the government and administration, raising the efficiency of the state and significantly improving the management of state resources, as well as freeing up space for the strengthening of the private sector. The primacy of knowledge over ignorance and primitivism, but also reformist energies, represent key leverage points for long-term sustainable development. Fifteen years after the democratic changes, Serbia is again confronted by some of the issues we had at the beginning of the third millennium, and which the “colour” of its future will depend on. How to engage its reform potential to a greater extent,