Commercial sector moderately optimistic about 2017 – Enterprises planning new investments, employments and salary raises

(From the presentation of the ProOptimist research) The optimism regarding business and investments with which small and medium enterprises in Serbia, especially the businessmen cooperating with Germany, are awaiting 2017 is at an encouraging level, as shown by the result of the ProOptimist index research, realized by ProCredit Bank in cooperation with the research agency GFK.

According to the research, 52.6% of small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs (SMEE) have a positive attitude regarding their operations and the business climate in Serbia in the next year, whereas as many as 63.2% of the companies cooperating with Germany believe that 2017 will be good for their business. This is a huge leap compared to 2015, when 57.8% of these companies had positive projections.

The results of this year's ProOptimist index show that the largest number of SMEEs are looking at the profit similar to the one made in 2016, whereas as many as 59% of entrepreneurs cooperating with Germany expect to have a larger net profit than in 2016. Local businessmen have also shown great optimism regarding employment and salary raises in 2017. Namely, this year's research has shown that nearly each fourth SME in Serbia is planning new employments and raising its employees' salaries, and that as many as 36% businessmen cooperating with Germany believe that they will employ more workers in 2017, whereas 21% of them are planning to raise their employees' salaries.

– This year's results of the ProOptimist index are a good indication of the current business trend in Serbia and are truly confirmed by a positive business outlook and investment optimism our bank's experts see every day while working with local companies. The fact is that we live and work in a very challenging market environments and I think that the data that around 30% businessmen in Serbia are planning new investments in 2017 is encouraging – pointed out Igor Anic, member of the Executive Board of ProCredit Bank, and added that it was especially important that nearly half of Serbian enterprises believed that banking loans would be much more available to them in 2017.

According to Borislav Kostadinov, president of the Managing Board of ProCredit, the bank will continue to support SMEEs in Serbia even more intensively in the coming period.

– In addition to our well-known partner relations with our clients, as well as financial support, we wish to give even more. We will organize B2B gatherings for businessmen in the region in order to stimulate a greater economic exchange. Furthermore, we will continue cooperating with the competent ministry and the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia.

Miroslav Miletic, vice president of CCIS, is satisfied with the results of the survey, and, as he said, we can finally celebrate the New Year without thinking how to make ends meet.

The director of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Martin Knapp, also believes that the ProOptimist index is encouraging, and he is especially happy about the optimism of the companies cooperating with Germany.

The biggest problem, also addressed by Katarina Obradovic Jovanovic, assistant to the Minister of Economy for SMEE, is the recovery of claims.

About ProOptimist index

The ProOptimist index is the research carried out by ProCredit Bank for the fourth year in a row to the end of presenting to the public the expectation of local businessmen in the next year, but also the key challenges they face. The research encompasses 360 businessmen in the SMEs operating in Serbia and the region in various sectors, as well as 180 enterprises cooperating with Germany.

ProCredit Bank a.d. Beograd

GfK Beograd

Privredna komora Srbije

AHK Srbija

Ministarstvo privrede Republike Srbije

ProOptimist index

ProCredit Bank

GFK

small and medium enterprises

entrepreneurs

SMEE

SME

Igor Anic

Borislav Kostadinov

Miroslav Miletic

Martin Knapp

Katarina Obradovic Jovanovic