Continued progress on infrastructure development, adopting laws imposing transparency on governance, and expanding initiatives to fight corruption will attract business investment to the District and create good private-sector jobs. The growth of the private sector will be the backbone of Brčko’s recovery from the pandemic and earlier years of stagnation, Brčko Supervisor Michael Scanlan stated on Tuesday. The Supervisor met via Zoom with the District Mayor, Deputy Mayor, District Assembly Speaker, and Deputy Speaker, officials of the Brčko District Chamber of Commerce, a representative of “STUDEN & CO Holding,” as well as the Head of the BH MAC Brčko Office.
Good private sector jobs will provide reliable income to hundreds of families. They will also increase contributions to the pension and health insurance funds as well as raise consumer spending, which means more business for small enterprises and more tax revenues for the District.
In this respect, the Supervisor commended the decision by the District authorities to hold monthly meetings with the District Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Employers, noting that the government and the business community need to work closely together to create the optimal conditions for private-sector development in the District.
Another positive development on the horizon is the anticipated 20 million KM investment that will create 220 jobs in the new Brod business zone as part of the public-private initiative launched by the District Government and “STUDEN & CO Holding.” The memorandum signed as part of this initiative outlines the Brod investment as the first step in a 500 million KM ten-year investment plan that should create 4,000 jobs in multiple sectors. The Supervisor welcomes the initiative as part of a wider effort to improve the business environment to attract other investors, foreign and domestic, to do business in Brčko.
Expanding private-sector employment opportunities will also facilitate the District’s efforts to streamline its large and costly public administration as people will have other employment options that currently do not exist in the District. This, along with the expansion of e-governance services will allow for more budget funds to be shifted to capital investments that benefit the entire community and foster sustainable economic growth, the Supervisor underscored.
Also, an increased focus on mine-clearance activities by the District authorities in partnership with donors and overseen by BH MAC will not only contribute to public safety but will also create favourable conditions for the development of tourism and the construction of crucial transportation arteries to external markets. Tourism, transportation, and agro-processing are sectors in which Brčko can leverage its exceptional geographic location, rich heritage, and abundant agriculture and natural resources to grow the economy and improve the quality of life for all who live in the District, added the Supervisor.
The Supervisor continues to urge all District residents to adhere to the epidemiological measures set out to ensure the public’s health and safety while remaining engaged in a safe manner in the important work that will ensure that Brčko is able to recover quickly and move forward decisively once the situation with the pandemic improves.
