Three cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina were on the list of the world-famous magazine as the best European micro-cities and regions of the future suitable for investment. In addition to Bosanska Gradiška, there are two cities from the Zenica-Doboj canton – Tešanj and Kakanj, rated as extremely suitable for investment. Out of 117 other European cities – the Financial Times ranked our cities in the top ten.
In the mosaic of assessed factors – such as economic potential, human capital and lifestyle, and foreign direct investment strategies – on the Financial Times list, Bosanska Gradiška was ranked 9, Kakanj two places below, and Tešanj even fourth.
Professor at the Faculty of Economics in Zenica Jasmin Halebić reminds that the Financial Times has an average daily circulation of over 115,000 copies: “When you add to that its influence via the Internet, then it can be said that this information is of global importance.”
“In the last ten years, we have had an export growth of about 80 percent, an import growth of about 70 percent. In the last 4 years alone, the turnover has increased from 1.4 billion to 2.5 billion – the number of employees has also increased, and in the last 4 years I think there have been around 350 new business entities”, says Mayor Tešnja Suad Huskić (SDA).
But for this kind of success, which will attract more investors in the future, it was necessary to work. The municipality of Kakanj is an example of suitable soil for economic entities. Today, there are more than 1,000 of them here, while the cost of refunding the registration of the company is borne by the Municipality.
Their goal, according to Mayor Mirnes Bajtarević (SDA), is for investors to recognize Kakanj as their partner.
“We have a serious scholarship program for deficient occupations in the area of Kakanj, we are looking to ensure a quality workforce for all our subjects, that list is formed in cooperation with the economy”, points out Aldin Ćatić, director of the Kakanj Development Center.
The encouraging steps and decisions of these three cities would have to become a model for the others – cities and legislators – who would influence the development of the entire BiH with positive policies for the development of the economy. society.