Serbia gets new economic development plan for next decade in autumn - Our document as true copy of Europe 2020 strategy

All government institutions are currently working on Serbian Development Strategy for the period 2010-2020, which will be presented to the public in September by Serbian President Boris Tadic.

- This document will be brought in accord with the aims of the EU's development strategy, and the coordinator of the activities of all authorized organs is Bozidar Djelic - people in the Government of Serbia point out and add that the form of the Serbian strategic plan is almost a true copy of the plan adopted under the name of Europe 2020 by the European Union.

According to currently available information, the new strategy puts focus of interest on construction of infrastructure, which should significantly contribute, in the opinion of its authors, to creation of new jobs.

At the same time, aside from the development of infrastructure, the authors also count on numerous investments in production activities that will contribute to creation of new jobs and good base for export. Tax reform, which was announced on many occasions this year, will also find its place in this context, but, obviously, not before the infrastructure is built and the level of direct investments is increased.

- The aim will be to increase participation of private sector in creation of total gross national product, which is absolutely minimal at the moment. Also, we expect the plan we are preparing to enable us to achieve, prior to 2020, the aim that is the only way for us to return the old growth rates of GNP, and that is the growth of export's share in gross national product from current 20% to about 50% - people in the Government of Serbia point out.

It is interesting that the authorities in Serbia stopped applying and even mentioning the current economic growth strategy long time ago. That strategy was adopted in 2006 and supposed to expire in 2012.

That document envisaged a significant improvement of competitiveness in aforementioned period, which has not happened, and now that task is set for the next decade. It also envisaged a significant growth of gross national production, an increase in number of employees, completion of the restructuring process in the economy sector...

The strategy also mentions commencement of denationalization process, which has been postponed for an indefinite period of time, and growth of direct foreign investments, which are still smaller than before due to influence of the global economic crisis and, although the strategy assumed that their share in gross in gross national product would amount to 25%, they today represent less than 15% of GNP.

KEY DOMAINS
* Infrastructure
* Economy of knowledge
* Social policy
* Energy
* Ecology

(Note: text is taken over from daily newspaper Novosti of July 27, 2010)