Quotations

"We are the first municipality in Belgrade to establish municipal office for local economic development, and thanks to the Municipal Economic Growth Activity program, our LED strategic plan is also nearing completion."

Željko Ožegović, the Mayor of Novi Beograd

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"Thanks to the Training Centre in Inđija, we have got the employment opportunity after many years. It is good to have the possibility to gain knowledge as well as a possibility to improve it."

Ljubica Magdić, employee of the Rick Eis Company speaking about the Training Center in Inđija

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"I plan to use my experience from Pardubice especially when we begin to build our industrial zone or business incubators."

Miroljub Stojčić, the President of Vranje Municipality upon returning from the study-tour to the Czech Republic

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"Since entering MEGA program our cooperation with local government of Kruševac has become satisfactory. I hope that this cooperation will continue to the benefit of local business and investment attraction. I don't even want to think about just how grave the damage would be if we were to be left out of MEGA program."

Goran Krasić, President of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Kruševac

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"Six months ago, we have adopted the American model of LED office functioning. Each day, we talk to 10-20 businesses located in Inđija, we call even the smallest shop to enquire whether they are experiencing any difficulties which we can help them with. This has been extremely well received by the business sector."

Stanko Gagić, the Head of the LED office in Inđija

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"We have established the LED office responding to the need for better, closer communication with our service, business and agriculture sectors. Some of our neighboring municipalities were much more successful than us in realizing their potentials simply because they had similar kind of office in place."

Tihomir Petković, the Mayor of Užice

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"The Business Improvement District (BID) contributes not only to the aesthetic appeal of our city, but is also a proof of our commitment to strengthening the ties between private and public sector. It is important that we show to our citizens as well as businesses that we are here to support them."

Vladimir Jovanović, the Mayor of Prokuplje

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"One of our greatest successes in the past year was qualifying for the participation in the USAID-funded Municipal Economic Growth Activity program."

Dragan Azdejković, the Mayor of Kruševac

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"Based on everything that we have done so far, it is realistic to expect 2,000 new jobs to be opened in Loznica by the end of 2007, which will reduce our unemployment by 12.5%. Our ambition is to become the leader in Western Serbia."

Vidoje Petrović, the Mayor of Loznica

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"The most important thing we learned in the Czech Republic is that certain laws need to be changed, of which the most urgent one is the Law on Property Devolution. Since 1989 when the revolution happened there, there was no apparent progress until the property was brought back to local governments. It was only then that the real progress has started."

Dragan Azdejković, the Mayor of Kruševac

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"The goal of the LED office is to increase the capacities of the municipality to stimulate economic development. It will work on creating conditions to attract foreign investment and retain current ones. It will also work on increasing the competitive advantage of Uzice compared to other municipalities in Serbia."

Nemanja Nešić, the Head of the LED Office in Užice

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"The goal of the Business Improvement District is to initiate a partnership between public and private sector, improve conditions for doing business, which will lead to new jobs being created",

says Dragan Popović, BID Manager in Vranje

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"At this time, five large trading companies expressed their interest to invest in Kruševac, as well as potential partners involved in metal industry from Italy and Austria, not to mention numerous domestic investors. In the past couple of months, more than 500 new jobs were opened in our municipality, while we expect that 700 more people will be employed by the end of the year",

said Miroljub Ćosić, talking about the effects of the LED Strategic Plan.

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