The example of Milenko Stevanovic who returned from Australia to Bijeljina with his family and started the business is the living proof that even in poor conditions as in BiH, one can actually succeed. Stevanovic is the owner of ‘Steco Centar “in Bijeljina, which is engaged in the construction of prefabricated wooden houses, which they are placing on the EU market, and they are slowly winning the market of Africa and South America as well.
He says that he and his children have passports of Australia, but that they chose to live in BiH despite everything. Stevanovic has few export oriented companies with a total of 300 employees.
”We have now employees from all over former Yugoslavia. We are fighting in every way to keep our experts here,” said Stevanovic.
He says that no one is going abroad because they want. ”We, in the years when we are mature enough for decision-making, need to give these young people hope to see their future here. Young people should be given the hope, the hope for the better tomorrow. They do not have that now,” he said.
Stevanovic said that the export of wood processors from the RS amounts to around 500 million BAM per year and it makes a fifth of total exports.
When it comes to the wood processing in Bijeljina, he said that the producers from this area fought and made a small industrial zone and that it is only a part of what can still be done in this area.
In his opinion, one of the main problems in this area is political instability. “If a person wants to invest the money, it has to first look whether that money is safe. It is, unfortunately, one of the biggest problems. I was in a position to bring a few people who wanted to invest here, but political instability is always a problem,” he said at a recent panel that was held within Jahorina Business Forum 2017.
