VUJOVIC: 10,000 enterprises and 30,000 entrepreneurs endangered

(Dusan Vujovic)

Serbian Economy Minister Dusan Vujovic stated that flooded areas in our country were home to about 10,000 businesses and around 30,000 entrepreneurs, adding that not all companies were equally endangered.

Vujovic told the weekly magazine Nedeljnik that the data referred to the regions of Kolubara, Macva and Moravica, as well as Obrenovac, Jagodina, Paracin and Cuprija, stressing that some companies had halted production, while the operations of some others had been made difficult due to a problem with the transport of raw materials.

He said that it had been confirmed that the World Bank, in agreement with the Serbian government, was going to grant a so-called ERL (emergency recovery loan) to our country.

- It will take two to three weeks to finish the preparations for the use of these funds. There is a possibility of the World Bank covering up to 40 percent of the actual costs caused by the natural disaster - Vujovic said and added that WB experts had already put themselves at Serbia's disposal.