eKapija | Serbia needs innovation-based economy – 25th Kopaonik Business Forum closes

(Photo: Shutterstock/Alexandros Michailidis)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic stated this Wednesday, March 7, 2018, at the closing of the Kopaonik Business Forum that an investment-based economy was no longer sufficient for Serbia and that it needed an innovation-based economy. She also announced a quicker economic growth of the country.

Brnabic said that the Government would continue the reforms and accelerate the economic growth and added that no event had penetrated into the essence of what is to follow fiscal consolidation as the Kopaonik Business Forum had, it is reported on the website of the Government of Serbia.

– The Government has a responsible task of continuing the reforms and accelerating the economic growth. Remarkable results have been achieved thanks to the fiscal consolidation measures – Brnabic said.

According to her, the previous year ended with a surplus, the public debt has been reduced, the three-year arrangement with the IMF has been successfully completed, the exchange rate is stable and the inflation remains within the planned limits, and there is also a trend of a reduction of the unemployment rate.

The prime minister said that Serbia had had direct foreign investments of EUR 2.6 billion in 2017 and that it was the leading country in the Western Balkans by this criterion.

(Photo: Ivana Milovanović, eKapija)

She reminded that the World Bank had pronounced Serbia the leader in reforms in Southeastern Europe and that the Financial Times had pronounced the country the leader by the performance index of direct greenfield investments, whereas credit agencies upgraded Serbia's credit rating in December 2017.

All those results have enabled salaries and pensions to be raised, Brnabic pointed out and added that those were the starting points for the Government for 2018, the website of the Government of Serbia adds.

Healthcare in Serbia

The Healthcare in Serbia panel was also held on the final date of the Kopaonik Business Forum, including State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Meho Mahmutovic, director of Roche, Ana Govedarica, director of Farmalogist and president of the Association of Wholesale Pharmacies of Serbia of the CCIS, Miomir Nikolic, director of Medigroup, Dejan Pesic, as well as representatives of the National Health Insurance Fund Ivana Djunisijevic and Jovana Milovanovic. The panel was moderated by Jasmina Knezevic, founder and director of Bel Medic.

– Healthcare is a sector on a major upswing globally, because the need for quality treatment has increased with the extension of life expectancy. By preparing a clear strategy, adopting the regulations and accepting private business entities as credible partners, we can easily start an enterprise initiative, thereby keeping young, quality experts, but also attracting foreign investors. It is only then that we will be able to keep our patients, doctors and nurses, because, if they leave, our money and our knowledge goes with them – Jasmina Knezevic concluded.

NHIF representative Jovana Milovanovic announced that innovative medical drugs for the treatment of breast cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and hepatitis C would become available to patients in Serbia soon.

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