Director of the Belgrade Office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Hildegard Gacek stated on Thursday that projects whose implementation is aided by EBRD would bring Serbia over EUR 500 million worth of investments in 2011.

Gacek specified that late last month EBRD signed contracts regarding several important projects in Serbia to the total value of EUR 391 million, and added that the realisation of these arrangements is underway.
Investments for this year are still flowing in and they will bring Serbia over 500 million worth of investments in 2011, Gacek said at the meeting to mark the fifth anniversary of successful cooperation between the EBRD TAM/BAS programme and the Dutch government.

Gacek noted that 184 projects have so far been realised with the help of the TAM programme aimed at large companies, and that the EU donor funds allocated EUR 9.5 million for this purpose.

At the same time, a total of 287 projects have been realised through the BAS programme, aimed at small and mid-size companies, into which EBRD and the Dutch government invested around EUR 3 million, she stated.

The greatest part of the EBRD financial support in 2011 is aimed at development of the private and financial sector in Serbia, agribusiness and projects involving natural resources.

The EBRD representative announced that the bank will continue to provide financial support to Serbia in the coming year as well, and the funds will primarily be invested in the development of infrastructure, agribusiness and local self-governments and reinforcement of small and mid-size companies through the TAM/BAS programme.