First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic said yesterday that the fight against economic and organised financial crime, corruption and money laundering are important for confidence of investors and the development of Serbian economy.

At the 10th economic summit, held at the Hyatt Hotel, Dacic said that the police are committed to creating a favuorable climate for business activities in the country and stressed that this will remain one of the main priorities of the Ministry of the Interior.

The rule of law is a prerequisite for further economic development, growth, investment and execution of large projects, and the Serbian government is determined to meet them effectively, said Dacic.

The First Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that the judiciary reform and fight against corruption and organised crime and reform of administration, are tasks which the Serbian government has been working on since the beginning of its term.

Numerous activities of the Interior Ministry are directly related to creating a better investment climate in Serbia and improving business conditions, particularly in the area of crime reduction, preservation of public order, protection of rights and freedoms of all people as well as traffic safety.

In the period from 2008 until September 2010, police discovered a total of 18 organised criminal groups with 309 members caught in malpractice in public procurement, disability insurance, transportation of excise goods, the assignment of public investment funds and public revenues.

They obtained gain of about €11 million, 700,000 Swiss francs and €1 billion, with the damage in excess of RSD 700 million, said Dacic.

When it comes to corruption, Dacic pointed out that the police have revealed major cases in the fields of public procurement, lending operations, use of public revenues and real estate, pension insurance, professional sports and in the work of military authorities, but also within their own ranks.

The First Deputy Prime Minister added that during this year, three organised criminal groups were discovered that dealt with money laundering by displaying fictitious transactions between multiple companies.

He pointed out that much better results have been achieved in the detection of tax crimes, namely tax evasion where the incidence of revelation of crimes increased by approximately 50%, but also in discovering the cases of abuse of power, embezzlement and illicit trade.

When it comes to fighting abuse in the privatisation processes, in the period from 2008 to September 2010, 742 companies were under surveillance and a total of 600 criminal acts were discovered whose execution resulted in damages in the amount of RSD 2.6 billion, he said.

Dacic underlined that Serbia is a safe country, that the state is committed to ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms of all citizens and that this was demonstrated in the best way when the police averted larger-scale riots during the Pride Parade.

The First Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that all national authorities and society as a whole should engage in fight for creation of a better and safer Serbia.

Economic Summit 2010 deals with Serbian government priorities in improving regional stability, stimulating Serbia’s economy, accelerating the process of EU accession, and in attracting foreign investment and partners that would take part in big projects in the country.