Domestic companies ask for equal treatment within Electric Power Company of Serbia's investment cycle - Investments projected at EUR 9 billion

The Consulting and Engineering Consortium asked on Friday for equal treatment for companies from Serbia within the future big investment cycle of the public company Electric Power Company of Serbia (EPS).

According to the ad published in printed media, in order for that cycle to be possible, the EPS needs to offer an economic price of electricity and maintain rational operations, while systematically protecting households that are unable to pay that price of electric power.

The consortium, which gathers domestic companies with over 12,000 workers in Serbia and abroad and register annual revenues of over EUR 600 million, asked for the same treatment within that investment cycle as foreign companies.

- It sounds reasonable that the EPS invites foreign companies in which it has been investing for 40 years to invest in the construction of new power plants, as well as to build plants that would produce components required by the EPS. The invitation would be clearer if it was underlined that all that should be done with the participation of domestic companies, which also support the EPS for so many years - reads the ad.

The Energy Consulting and Engineering Consortium consists of Energoprojekt Minel, Energoprojekt Oprema, Termoelektro, Termoelektro-Enel, Gosa Fom, Gosa montaza, Kolubara metal, Feromont inzenjering, ATB Sever, Rudnap Group, Minel kotlogradnja, and institutes Nikola Tesla, Vinca and Mihajlo Pupin - automatika.

That consortium wants these companies, as well as those that are not members of the consortium, to be equal partners to foreign companies in the implementation of forthcoming projects in the energy sector of Serbia.

- We believe it is in the interest of the state and all its citizens and we expect the authorized people to insist in their addresses, tenders and negotiations with potential foreign investors on the participation of Serbian companies in projects under non-discriminatory terms - reads the statement issued by the Consulting and Engineering Consortium.

Few days ago, the EPS invited foreign companies that have been producing equipment for the EPS over the last 40 years to take part in the construction of their own plants or the privatization of plants in Serbia in order to initiate the cycle of production of equipment, parts and services that the national power company needs.