First Effects of Cooperation with DFC in November – Several Billion Euros for SMEs

The first effects of the cooperation with the office of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in Belgrade will be visible in November, namely, several billion euros for small and medium enterprises.

This was stated by Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali and the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (CCIS), Marko Cadez.

Mali said that the first effects of the cooperation with the DFC would be visible in November and that, with the arrival of the DFC, Serbia had gotten three key things – a new guarantee scheme, support for micro, small and medium enterprises and an invitation to American investors to come to the country.

– We're talking billions of euros, and this has been confirmed. So, we don't yet know what the exact amount is, because a lot depends on us and our projects, as well as on our companies, but it is certainly a huge amount of money – Mali said in his interview for Kurir.

The minister expressed his conviction that more concrete agreements would follow not long after, considering the fact that, according to him, the Americans work fast and are efficient and that the office opened two and a half weeks after the signing of the Washington agreement.

– The plan is to get concrete propositions for the guarantee scheme and for support to micro and small enterprises by the end of the next week. If those propositions are acceptable, with potential slight adjustments, we can start adopting the necessary documents relatively quickly – he said.

Cadez stated that, with the opening of the DFC office in Belgrade, the realization of the Washington agreement on the normalization of the economic relations between Belgrade and Pristina had practically started.

– This will soon bring apparent, concrete benefits to the economy. The first money from the American funds, as announced, might become available in late November and it would be available to those who need it the most at the moment – small and medium enterprises – Cadez said in his interview for Novosti.

When asked whether everything was arranged for the opening of a CCIS office in Jerusalem, Cadez answered that the premises at the Margalit Startup City in Jerusalem would become available to the CCIS on October 1.

– We are working fast with the Government of Serbia on specifying all the formal-legal and technical details and carrying out all the necessary procedures for the opening of a joint office that would deal with the development of the economic ties with Israel, especially cooperation in the field of innovations – Cadez said.

Privredna komora Srbije

Ministarstvo finansija Republike Srbije

Chamber of Commerce of Serbia

Ministry of FInance

DFC Belgrade

CCIS

Marko Čadež

Washington agreement

realization of the Washington agreement

normalization of economic relations between Belgrade and Pristina

Margalit Startup City