September 29, 2010

29. September 2010.

BILLBOARDS PLACED AT BELGRADE AIRPORT

As of yesterday, billboards advertising Bujanovac, Vranje, Leskovac, Pirot, Kragujevac, Loznica, Indjija and Subotica are on display to passengers at Belgrade airport “Nikola Tesla”, with the aim of promoting the advertised cities as favorable environments for investment.

Vranje draws our attention as the capital of the furniture industry with its program “Inspired by Nature”, while Bujanovac uses the slogan “Fresh Business Opportunity” to remind us that there are springs of mineral water in it. Under the slogan “You are on the Right Road”, Pirot puts an emphasis on “Tigar” tires, which it is well-known for. By using the slogan “Fruitful Investment”, Loznica is presented as a fruit-growing region.

Leskovac, which is renowned for its drug plant “Zdravlje-Aktavis”, promotes “Healthy Business”. Subotica wished to present itself as a region in which innovations are welcome, while on the Kragujevac billboard, the speed indicator shows that this city is “In the Fifth Gear” when it comes to investments (association with “Fiat”). Indjija advertises itself with the slogan “Under Construction”.

The campaign is conducted by the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED). The aim of the campaign is to present the best and most recognizable industries and products of these eight cities, which had been awarded certificates of cities with favorable business environment.
Under the plan, billboards, on which the basic bits of information on the municipalities are displayed, should be also placed at “Konstantin Veliki” airport in Nis, since airports are the spots with a large flow of the people from all sides of the world, which makes them an ideal place for the promotion of business potentials. Also considered is the possibility of putting up billboards at railway and bus stations.

At yesterday’s promotion of the campaign, Vladimir Cupic, Chairman of the Managing Board of NALED, said that Serbia already had a favorable business environment, and gave credit for it to “hard-working people from the municipalities, as well as to their partners”.

He reiterated that the eight certified municipalities met the standards, which guarantee that potential investors would get services and information in the manner that facilitates the activities that are within the competence of the local self-governments.

„More and more local self-governments understand that under the conditions of a stronger competition, they can’t just wait for the assistance provided by the central government, but they should also take upon themselves to attract investments”, Mr. Cupic said.

As for the government’s assistance with attracting investments, the Ministry of Economy provides employment incentives and tax facilities, and this is impossible to carry out without the partnership with local self-governments.