Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Regional Development Verica Kalanovic, Deputy Prime Minister Jovan Krkobabic and Minister of Economy and Regional Development Nebojsa Ciric attended yesterday the opening of a new plant of raw hardboard SIMPO SIK in Kursumlija.
Dacic said that the reopening of the factory in Kursumlija is a heroic act of its employees, as this was done in times of economic crisis.
He said that the Kursumlija region is of strategic importance for the whole of Serbia.
Dacic pointed out that the Kursumlija is located outside the ground safety zone, which is exposed to incursions by Albanian extremists.
Dacic expressed the hope that workers will no longer have the need to show dissatisfaction the way they did two years ago when they blocked traffic.
Kalanovic said that the opening of this facility is a result of the struggle of the Serbian government for every man and every factory.
She recalled that a year ago this factory was abandoned while its employees were hopeless and with no salaries.
The plant now employs 522 workers, of whom there are many young people, said Kalanovic.
She stressed that the government will continue to assist in the modernisation of facilities in Kursumlija because that is extremely important for the revival of this region, given that Kursumlija is among the least developed municipalities in Serbia, where unemployment rate is 28.6%.
Krkobabic said that we now need to go further, open a new facility for the production of enriched hardboard, introduce new technology and hire new people.
Public company Srbijasume will continue to supply Simpo SIK with highest quality ingredients, he said.
Ciric said that the Serbian government will this year invest another €1.5 million to enable the employment of another 100 new workers by year’s end.
He pointed out that this year SIMPO SIK will produce the goods whose value will be in excess of €20 million.
The production at SIK Kopaonik from Kursumlija was re-launched a year ago, when the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development found a strategic partner, SIMPO, for the Kursumlija company.
To start the production of raw hardboard in SIMPO SIK in Kursumlija, the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, through the Development Fund, so far invested €14 million in equipment and working capital, thus creating conditions for the annual production of 44,000 tonnes of raw hardboard and employment of 520 workers.
SIMPO SIK is engaged in wood processing and is e present in the markets of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Turkey, Italy, Germany, FYRMacedonia, and plans to conquer the markets of other European countries.
Source balkans.com
