I NTERVI EW
Ambitious Plans and its Implementation The City has been working hard on attracting potential investors and promoting entrepreneurship, which should contribute to the creation of new jobs. Concurrently, projects are being implemented that should promote development of the economic and tourist potential, including Novi Sad's candidacy for the European Capital of Culture in 2021
MILOŠ VUČEVIĆ
Mayor of Novi Sad
The fact that the Serbian Progressive Party (SPP) occupies all four levels of government is a positive development that implies full agreement on the most important projects that will improve the lives of our citizens – says the incumbent and newly elected Mayor of Novi Sad, Miloš Vučević. You are starting your second term as mayor of Novi Sad. Which development direction should the City take and which economic branches are the best for its future?
— We have been developing industrial zones in the close proximity of the E75 motorway, in addition to expanding the capacity of the Free Customs Zone and continuing to implement incentive programmes for the development of small enterprises, agriculture etc. We are creating an even better business climate and environment for future investors. Apart from industrial production, our construction sector has become the most appealing area to investors. The new data collated by the Ministry of Construction shows that construction activities are the highest in Novi Sad, i.e. higher than anywhere else in Serbia. Since 1st January, when we
8
started issuing electronic building permits, the City’s Urban Planning Administration has received 1,330 building permit applications. Of all towns and cities in Serbia, Novi Sad has issued the most building permits, which makes it the best environment for investors. Some say that Novi Sad has fewer investments than other areas in Serbia because foreign investors have to pay €100 more for an average salary in the city than in smaller towns?
— The fact remains that the econ-
NIS Gazpromneft – operate in Novi Sad. We have been working hard on attracting potential investors, while our most important goal is to create new jobs. However, the most pressing matter at the moment is to harmonise our education system with the needs of the labour market. I think that dual education would be sustainable here and I have heard that many companies are willing to support it. Our education system needs to be reformed and, in order to have a more successful economy, we need to provide worker profiles that
THE NEW DATA COLLATED BY THE MINISTRY OF CONSTRUCTION SHOWS THAT CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ARE THE HIGHEST IN NOVI SAD, I.E. HIGHER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN SERBIA. OF ALL THE TOWNS AND CITIES IN SERBIA, NOVI SAD ISSUED THE MOST BUILDING PERMITS, WHICH MAKES IT THE BEST ENVIRONMENT FOR INVESTORS omy of Novi Sad is recovering. After several decades, production facilities are being opened by two multinational companies – Lear and Delphi – which are going to employ 5,000 people. The biggest international insurance companies and banks, as well as one of the biggest global energy companies –
Diplomacy&Commerce
the labour market actually needs. As a local government, we have discussed the expansion of certain technical education majors so that pupils who graduate from these high schools would be able to find employment in existing and future factories in Novi Sad immediately after they finish school.
Very few people know that in the last ten years Novi Sad has been a hub of the IT industry, which currently employs over 5,000 people. How are the City authorities going to support this sector?
— The City authorities have been supporting the development of IT companies for years now, through the provision of assistance to startup programmes or first chance programmes, and by opening business incubators and cooperating with the local university. Novi Sad provides the biggest incentives in Serbia. This is where we are completely synchronised with the Serbian government's policy of providing the best incentives in Europe, especially to start-ups, with the view of encouraging people to start their own businesses. I visited the Employment Fair recently and there I saw both large companies, like Lear and Delphi, and small family businesses, standing shoulder to shoulder. This is proof that we are on the right path and that our incentives programmes for self-employment, start-up programmes and first chance programmes are yielding results. With regard to the further development of the IT sector, and considering the fact that Novi Sad is the IT hub of Serbia, there is still the problem of a lack of highly-educated staff.
