Italian underwear manufacturers to open Flash factory in Apatin - Investment worth EUR 30 million

Four Italian textile companies, one of which is Calzedonia, are going to open the Flash underwear factory in Apatin in April and hire 300 people at that production facility worth EUR 30 million, Apatin Mayor Zivorad Smiljanic said Monday.

- That investment is a precondition to the implementation of an idea to establish a duty-free zone - he said in Belgrade in a talk with Serbian Transportation Minister Milutin Mrkonjic.

As the Transportation Ministry announced in a release, Smiljanic added that Apatin had so far invested about EUR 4 million from its own resources in the construction of a marina, which was only a part of the port and duty-free zone development project.

- All necessary requirements for launching this investment are met, considering that the consent from the Public-Private Partnership Commission is required by regulations - he said and added that the procedure would be completed soon, at one of the following sessions of the Serbian government.

According to the mayor of Apatin, that municipality will announce an international tender when the goverrnment's commission gives its consent.

- We have a sufficient number of prospective investors for aforementioned projects - said Smiljanic.

According to Milutin Mrkonjic, the Apatin municipality sets an example of how to recognize chances for development in the most efficient way.