Interview Zorana Mihajlović, Serbian Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection
Reduce Procedures – Increase Efficiency One project of the Ministry is to reduce procedures and allow potential investors to bid for a particular location, and then gain all necessary permits under the shortest possible deadlines
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he newly formed Ministry of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection is certainly an address recorded in the notebooks and plans of many foreign investors. Although rich in all energy sources, Serbia has not invested in the energy sector for a long time. Minister Zorana Mihajlović announces major changes to the energy and environmental protection sector, the adoption of numerous laws and bylaws and the improving of the efficiency of communication with potential investors.
Foreign investors show great interest in investing in the Serbian energy sector, partcularly in the production of "clean" energy. To what extent is existing infrastructure ready to accept these projects and where do you see the priorities in the field of foreign investment in the Serbian energy sector? - The interest of investors in in-
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Investment Not a single facility in the energy sector has been built in Serbia for the past 25 years.
vesting in Serbia’s energy sector has always been huge. Unfortunately, my predecessors were more concerned with announcements of billion-euro investments, while the result is different. Not a single facility in the energy sector has been built in Serbia for the past 25 years. Although a Law on Energy exists, as well as additional bylaws, not many projects have been realised. The Ministry of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection actually sees investment in clean and renewable energy as one of the priorities of investment, and we are preparing a document, Plan for the priorities of investment in the energy sector of Serbia, which will be presented to potential investors, the media and the public in Serbia. The main reason for this document is that in the previous period the state guaranteed for loans with which they funded projects that are not a priority, instead of for projects that can achieve energy security for Serbia, which is the central task of this ministry.
Launching new investments in the Serbian energy sector is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection 26 Guide to the Foreign Investors Council 2012/13
You have criticised the work of electricity dsitributor EPS on several occasions. What changes do you plan to realise when it comes to this big system and where do you see the role of EPS in the development of the Serbian energy sector, considering that the privatisation of this energy giant is often mentioned? - Public company EPS now finds itself in serious economic and financial strife, and what the Ministry of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection will do is pledge to change the ways of managing this and all other public companies in the energy sector. This certainly doesn’t mean that EPS will be privatised, but besides the rationalisation of operations, the corporatisation of EPS will be performed and special attention will be focused on clear plans for development and investment. EPS is a company that should have been the driving force of development, not something that hinders the development of the country. Introducing order, clear criteria, as well as measurable indicators of the success of operations, are some of the principles with which we will manage it.
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► There are a number of projects related to the launch of wind en-