Prime Minister Ana Brnabic attended on August 8 the opening of the second logistics centre of company Lidl in Serbia, which will employ 250 people and thus will significantly contribute to the increase of living standards in that municipality.
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Brnabic pointed out that the economic growth of Serbia continues despite all the challenges and pressures in the whole world, noting that German companies employ more than 76 thousand people here, which shows how much confidence German investors have in our country.
According to her, in 2021 alone, the total volume of exchange of goods and services with Germany reached almost €8 billion.
She pointed out that in the first four months of this year, the trend of growth in trade between Serbia and Germany continued and that it amounts to almost €2.5 billion.
The Prime Minister cited the fact that in a survey conducted by the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, as many as 85 percent of German investors who are already doing business in Serbia said that they would invest in Serbia again.
In that same way, Lidl, which has been in Serbia since 2018, decided to expand its operations here. By opening a second logistics centre in Lapovo, which is bigger than the one in Nova Pazova, it will help increase the living standard of the citizens of Lapovo and will represent a step for a better future, emphasised Brnabic.
The Prime Minister stated that the average salary in Lapovo has increased by 42.9 percent in the last four years, and that by opening new jobs and creating excellent conditions in the Lidl company, that trend will continue.
In a statement to journalists, the Prime Minister confirmed that there will be an increase in salaries in the public sector and pensions, despite the challenges the country is facing.
As she pointed out, salaries will be increased by double digits, pensions by more than 19 percent, and the minimum wage will also increase.
After Nova Pazova, the second logistics centre was opened in the presence of Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Tatjana Matic, CEO of Lidl Serbia Dragan Cigoja, representative of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Denis Kaiser and president of the municipality of Lapovo Boban Milicic.
Kaiser stated that since the beginning of construction of the logistics centre in Lapovo, company Lidl respected the highest standards in sustainable construction.
He said that the logistics centre was built in partnership between German and Serbian companies, and that Germany will use all available means to support Serbia in preserving the climate and the environment, which are the priority goals of German companies operating in Serbia.
Milicic said that the opening of Lidl is a big deal for the residents of that municipality who will be employed here and have the opportunity to improve personally and professionally.
He underlined that the construction of the logistics centre also significantly improved the infrastructure in Lapovo.
This investment by the company Lidl, whose value is €70 million, is also of great importance for the economic development of Serbia. The capacity of the centre, whose area is 57 thousand square meters, and from which goods will arrive on the shelves of Lidl in central and southern Serbia every day, is 35,000 pallets and 130 loading bays. ■
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