CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES OF PRIVATE COMPANIES IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF BUJANOVAC AND PRESEVO

Bujanovac, Presevo - Economic experts say that small and medium-sized enterprises are important for the economic development of countries in transition. Besides contributing to the economic development, small and medium-sized enterprises in the municipalities of Bujanovac and Presevo are also important because they provide employment to people. How much have  these companies developed, how many employees do they have, which problems do they face, where do they sell their products and do they have the support of the municipality or the government?

Furniture factory "Omorika" from Bujanovac is one of the companies which currently employs 16 workers, whereas it previously had around 40 employees.

Hajrus Sefedini, the Director of the company, says that he hasn’t been satisfied with the company lately because of the poor market demand.  

“The issue is that there are no money and sales. The problem doesn’t lie in production, but in the placement of goods.  Then, the price of furniture decreased and the prices of materials increased,” says Mr. Sefedini, adding that" it won’t be good if the situation continues, because the cost of insurance of the workers must be paid regardless of the sale." 

The company sells its products throughout Serbia, in Kosovo and Metohija and Montenegro, but also in the European countries, such as Switzerland and Germany.

 One of the few citizens who returned from Switzerland and invested in his country is Naser Junuzi from Veliki Trnovac. He says that he invested one million euros in the housing - business facility "Swiss Center", and that he recently opened the mechanical and auto electrical shop "Auto Swiss," which is managed by himself.  

“I‘m satisfied with my life here and so far everything has been fine. As for work, I initially had problems with the workers, but it’s all right now. There is a great interest of clients for the services provided by my shop because I managed to win their trust, and it should be used, "says Mr. Junuzi.

Mr. Junuzi also said that he had problems with students who aren’t interested to come to the workshop and learn the craft. He offers to his customers spare parts from Germany and Switzerland, as well as those that are procured in Serbia, depending on how much the clients are willing and able to spend on them.

“I think that there are many opportunities for investment here and that it I worth investing. There are several areas in which one can invest, while everything depends on one’s will and profession. My family and I are pleased that we came back and we don’t regret it, "says Naser Junuzi.

He is of the view that there is lack of good communication between the Albanians who live here and those who live in Western Europe.  

“There are barriers to knock down and invest here, we just need true communication," said Mr. Junuzi.

One of the private companies with the largest number of workers is the "Tobler Skele" company  from the village of Rajince, in the Presevo municipality, which currently has 70 employees.   The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in the Swiss town of Rejnek. The company also has its offices in Belgrade, Skopje, Pristina and Ljubljana.  Including the employees of its offices outside Serbia, "Tobler Skele" employs over 100 workers.

Ardjent Bajrami, the Director of the company, says that the company operates without any major problems, but that the company also needs the government’s assistance, so that its capacity of the  could increase.    

“80 percent of our products are sold in Switzerland and the rest in countries where we have our representative offices. There aren’t any serious problems. The local self-government can’t help us much, but the government or the Republican Fund for Development can, and we intend to apply to it for a loan, so that the company could increase its production capacity and create new jobs”, says Ardjent Bajrami, the Director of the “Tobler Skele” company 

"Tobler" produces construction scaffoldings and other ancillary parts which are mounted on the scaffoldings, and according to the Director Bajrami, the company has all the necessary certificates for quality and sales of their products in Western Europe.

Fahir Sadiku, the Director of "Celiku" company from Presevo, said that the company was established in 1969 as a craft shop, and that it then grew into a company for the production of windows and doors made of aluminum and plastic.

“We currently have 12 employees, while the number of workers in the season is larger. We have a number of problems, from the workforce to the municipal administration, which always "bypasses" us when it comes to tenders, although we offer the lowest prices and high quality products," says Mr. Sadiku.

In 2008, both "Tobler Skele" and "Celiku" companies received a grant in the amount of 20 thousand dollars from the US Agency for International Development - USAID. They used those funds to purchase the new manufacturing equipment, increase their capacity and improve the quality of their products.

The aforementioned two companies, as well as the "Omorika" company from Bujanovac, received a grant of three million dinars from the Coordination Body of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the Municipalities of for Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja too.

It should be noted that the Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized  Enterprises, which was founded in 2004, helps and supports the operation of small and medium-sized enterprises in Serbia.

Source: Titulli and Coordination Body