Slovenia is one of the biggest investors in Bosnia and Herzegovina – as much as 500 companies with Slovenian capital are operating in BiH.
Advisor for economic issues in the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Gregor Presker says that BiH is the third country where Slovenia invests the most, right after Serbia and Croatia.
Investments from this country amount to 480 million EUR, thus making Slovenia the fifth biggest foreign investor in BiH.
“Slovenia is the fifth partner of BiH in foreign trade exchange with nine percent share in foreign trade exchange with 2.2 billion BAM in the last year. This is the situation according to the data on the trade country. This coverage amounts to about 52 percent. According to the country of origin, which is more important, this exchange amounts to 1.5 billion BAM and this coverage is 94 percent,” says Presker, explaining how Slovenia recognizes the BiH market as significant and full of opportunities.
What the BiH public does not know is that the companies that invest in BiH are the BiH companies, because they employ people from BiH and pay incomes, taxes and contributions in accordance with the EU standards.
“According to our estimations, around 15.000 workers are employed in companies in BiH. Regarding the investments, Slovenia invested in almost all sectors of industry and mostly in small and medium enterprises. In terms of production plants, the majority of investments went to metal industry, textile industry and food industry. Slovenia also invested in financial institutions and insurances, trade, energy and telecommunications,” Presker stated.
Presker also expressed regret for the affair Tuš which has shaken the confidence of BiH citizens and businessmen in companies coming from Slovenia. He stated that Tuš is a private company which is not influenced by the state in any way. “The company is in bankruptcy proceedings before the BiH courts thus we give the word to them,” Presker said.
(Source: akta.ba)
