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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Business Registers Agency in Kosovska Mitrovica to open office

Belgrade, 8 January 2007

Head of the economic team for Kosovo-Metohija and the South of Serbia Nenad Popovic announced today that the Business Registers Agency will open a branch office in Kosovska Mitrovica on January 13.

Dragisa Okolisanov, left, and Nenad Popovic at today's press conference

At a press conference Popovic stated that once the branch office is opened, preconditions for time-saving opportunities and greater legal security, as well as for the creation of new business climate in Kosovo, will be established.

He explained that the aim of this office in Kosovo-Metohija is to set up a single database on registered business companies, entrepreneurs, financial leasing and the right of pledge.

The introduction of business entities from Kosovo-Metohija into a single economic Business Entities Register will help us determine the precise number of companies in the province, said Popovic adding that thus legal safety and better conditions for foreign investments will be provided.

He also stressed that as part of its long-term Strategy of Economic Development of Serbian communities in the province, the economic team stated the creation of state as well as SME infrastructure, as one of its basic elements.

According to Popovic, the institutional infrastructure for SME development is a precondition for a successful fight against the high unemployment rate and for the creation of new jobs.

Popovic said that over 500 companies are registered in the province and 500 entrepreneurs in Leposavic, whereas around 350 companies still officially forward the data to the National Bank of Serbia on a regular basis. He added that another 200 micro companies also operate on the territory of Kosovo-Metohija.

Having emphasised that these are all generalised data, Popovic explained that for these reasons the opening of the branch office is extremely consequential to the province's future economic development and one of the basic elements for increasing employment.

Popovic also stated that administrative obstacles for opening new companies will thus be removed for Kosovo-Metohija residents, adding that they will be able to do business more easily, and quickly through a simplified procedure.

He announced that apart from performing the duties of the Business Registers Agency, the branch office in Kosovska Mitrovica will also accept applications for the Financial Leasing Register and the Register of Pledge.

Popovic added that by a simple registering of a contract on financial leasing and pledge, it will be much easier for business entities to get new funds through leasing of new equipment in their companies.

Director of the Business Registers Agency Dragisa Okolisanov stressed that this agency is the first Serbian institution which by opening its office in Kosovska Mitrovica will offer help to the population of Kosovo-Metohija to register their businesses easily through a simple procedure, begin their business or close their business or shop, without unnecessary administrative hurdles.

Okolisanov explained that this office is the 13th organisational unit of the Business Registers Agency working in Serbia, and the first one in the province. He added that the office is technically completely equipped and ready to receive all demands by citizens, which are forwarded electronically or through mail to the centre in Belgrade where they are further processed.

He voiced hope that the introduction of business entities in Kosovo-Metohija in the single electronic Register of Business Entities will make it clear precisely how many firms are doing business on the territory of the province, which increases the degree of legal security and provides better conditions for foreign investment.

Okolisanov recalled that in the two years since the introduction of the new system of registration, the number of newly founded firms in Serbia increased by some 60% against the period prior to the establishment of the Business Registers Agency.

According to Okolisanov, 11,265 firms were founded in 2006, which is an increase compared to 2005 total when the number of companies registered was 10,600.

Okolisanov specified that considering the fact that the Business Registers Agency began to register entrepreneurs as well in 2006, the number of newly founded shops on the territory of Serbia was more than 45,000, the number of shops closed more than 25,000, so that 20,000 shops remained, which is an excellent result when compared to the previous year.

He stressed that providing institutional infrastructure for supporting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, as one of the aims of the recently adopted Strategy for the long term economic development of Serbian communities in Kosovo-Metohija, is an important precondition for more successful fight against unemployment and poverty on the territory of the province, and the Business Registers Agency is completely prepared to help realise this aim.

Besides the Business Registers Agency, the office in Kosovska Mitrovica will also receive applications for the Financial Leasing Register and the Register of Pledges, which are kept in this agency, said Okolisanov.

He added that simplified registration of contracts on financial leasing and pledging will allow easier creation of conditions for securing financial funds for giving loans for acquiring new equipment in enterprises.

The office of the Business Registers Agency will begin working on January 15, and it has already employed two persons with knowledge of both Serbian and Albanian languages.