Pavle Radanov, the Mayor of Pancevo - We will destroy prejudices about Pancevo, we are preparing for investors

(Pavle Radanov)

We had three leading plants in the old Yugoslavia, Petrohemija, Azotara, Rafinerija. We had more than 30 plants and today many of them have been undergoing restructuring. In order to continue industrialization, we are building industrial zone and our objective is to attract investors from processing , food industry. This is how Pavle Radanov, the mayor of Pancevo, explains for eKapia the plans of the local self-governance.

Last week, two great names arrived to the city at the Tamis. The first one is McDonald's restaurant where EUR 1,5 m was invested and which hired 50 people. Only a day later, one of the biggest world clothes retailers, H&M, opened a store at Aviv park. Radanov then said he hopes other investors will come to Pancevo as well.

eKapija: What can Pancevo offer to investors and what the local authorities are doing to attract them?

- Pančevo has two big potentials. Firstly, we have big agricultural resources on 70.000 ha of cultivable land where we have serious agricultural production but we do not have processing production. The second segment is the fact that in mid last century, Pancevo went through true industrialization expansion and we want to maintain it. Therefore, we started seven months ago with setting up the industrial zone on 75 ha, introducing water, sewerage system and electricity.

eKapija: How many of investors could you accept?

- It was estimated to provide investors with 2 to 6 ha. We planned a few processing industries of agricultural products. We are planning to put industrial zone into operations late this year and as of January 2015 to present it to economic ambassadors of foreign countries and the Government of Serbia and thus show we created environment where investors can come.

eKapija: You have developed chemical industry. We all witness air pollution situation in Pancevo. To what extent do you think it will influence potential investors, especially those which should process agricultural products in your town?

- I have to outline Pancevo was lucky for the fact that Gazprom Neft privatized the Oil Industry of Serbia and thus Refinery as well. They poured significant funds into facilities and air pollution decreased. We, however, are not satisfied since we have more state-owned plants which are undergoing restructuring and we hope investors which come will be able to help in environmental sense.

eKapija: The Agency for Privatization has recently released a call for investors. A few bigger companies listed is from Pancevo. Which one of them could find an owner first?

- In former Yugoslavia, Pancevo had more than 30 plants. We had three leading ones: Petrohemija, Azotara, Rafinerija. We had bulb plant Tesla, Staklara (glass factory).

I hope some of the foreign investors will come to manage some of the companies and that this way we will strengthen both local and republic budget.

eKapija: Chinese China Glass Holding has recently announced it is interested in Pancevo-based glass lplant and it announced it would set aside EUR 200 m for this investment. How certain is that?

-The Government of Serbia has been negotiating it so I have information as much as you do. I hope it will end up well and that such an investor will come to the plant

eKapija: How did Aviv park influence the economy in Pancevo?

- Aviv park was a good business move. They have been expanding on annual basis and the local self-governance is at their disposal. Aviv, apart from other two new parks, became a new spot for citizens ‘gathering, both of the older and the younger ones.

Jelena Djelic

Grad Pančevo

HIP-Petrohemija a.d. Pančevo

HIP-AZOTARA d.o.o. Pančevo

NIS a.d. Petrol Rafinerija nafte Pančevo

McDonald's Beograd

Vlada Republike Srbije

BIG PANČEVO

NIS a.d. Novi Sad

Industrija stakla Pančevo

China Glass Holding Limited

JSC Gazprom Neft Moscow

Aviv Arlon Holding Beograd

Pavle Radanov

McDonald s

McDonalds

North industrial zone Pancevo

NIS

air polluction Pancevo

Narodna basta

Barutana

skate park

artificial rock

Tesla

Pancevo-based glass plant

industrial zone Pancevo