TAFE looking for subcontractors throughout Serbia – Tractor cabins to be produced in Uzice area

There's a possibility that the assembling of new tractors branded IMT will start in Jarkovac, the municipality of Secanj, Kamal Ahuja, Deputy Manager of TAFE for Europe, told Politika.

– The final decision will be made by our engineers from Serbia, once they take a look at the IMT facility in which single-axle trailers for tractor used to be produced until 2015. We have promised to display the first new model with the old mark IMT-539, produced in India, at the Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad in May. This is an upgraded product, with the EUR3 engine and 47 horsepower – Ahuja said.

Over a period of five years, TAFE will be producing at least 5,000 tractors a year in Serbia, namely, the upgraded models IMT 539, 542 and 590. The intention is to reach the production of 10,000 of these machines, which can still be seen on farms throughout the former Yugoslavia.

In the first phase, the tractors will be marketed in Serbia, and then in the former Yugoslavian countries. In the third phase, the tractors will be sold in countries to which IMT used to export, such as Tunisia, Algiers, Morocco, as well as in certain EU countries, such as Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

Kemal Ahuja is now traveling Serbia, looking for former and future subcontractors for the production of IMT tractors.

– I've just come back from Uzice and its area, I've talked to manufacturers of tractor components we will produce in Serbia – Ahuja told Politika.

The cabins will be produced in Uzice as a fully Serbian product, from the design to the manufacture, comprising 15% of the IMT-539 model, Ahuja said and added that he would soon meet with potential producers of rims, filters...

– We will strive for the majority of tractors to be produced in Serbia. Our aim is for more than a half of its value to be produced here, so that we would be able to export it free of duty to all the countries with which Serbia has signed free trade agreements – he said.

Ahuja could not say with certainty whether the new factory is to be built in Jarkovac and he also added that the subsidies, which might amount to EUR 10,000 for each employee at the municipality of Secanj, would not be the decisive factor.

– Our engineers will make the final decision – Ahuja says.

The production, Politika writes, will begin within 12 months.

IMT in bankruptcy was bought by TAFE on April 2 as the only participant in the auction at the starting price of around RSD 66 million. By purchasing IMT, the Indian company became the owner of its intellectual property. It includes the brand, that is, the trademark, blueprints and copyrights of the former giant within the Serbian industry, as well as the sales and service center in Jarkovac, along with production halls and the existing equipment, on a plot of land of around 4.5 hectares.

The production halls of IMT in New Belgrade, on an area of 46 hectares, will be replaced by a new residential neighborhood, featuring commercial space and accompanying features as well, the Belgrade-based newspaper writes.

IMT d.o.o. Beograd

Opština Sečanj

IMT

Industrija Masina i Traktora

TAFE

Municipality of Secanj

Jarkovac

Kamal Ahuja

IMT 539

production of tractors

production of tractor cabins

production of tractor components

tractor

tractors

tractor cabins

tractor components

IMT 542

IMT 590

tractor rims

tractor filters

export of tractors