Conditions for establishing Nis Free Zone forming – Companies already interested in investing

In the next two years, all the conditions will be met for the formation of the Nis Free Zone. The process is well on its way and several companies which currently operate on EI Nis premises are interested in operating more efficiently, which would be enabled by the Nis Free Zone, said Dragan Kostic, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Nis.

Kostic says that the Nis Free Zone was formed several years ago. The legal deadline period for starting the operations was two years. Since this failed to happen, the Government of Serbia reached the decision to revoke the work permit following the expiration of the deadline.

– These days, there's talk again of starting a new initiative for the formation of a zone in Nis, which makes us happy, as we don't see other zones as competition, but as partners we can cooperate with, to the end of making better results and better conditions for investments and operations. We are prepared to once again provide all the necessary help in forming the zone, both in the capacity of the Pirot Free Zone and the Chamber of Commerce of Nis – explains Dragan Kostic, also the director of the Pirot Free Zone.

– To form the Nis Free Zone, an initiative is needed, as well as the city's support and building engineers who will work on forming the zone. Some of the companies here, as well as those who'd like to come to Nis to work in the zone, have shown interest. They could be the foundation for the Nis Free Zone initial operations, which would mean a great deal to the entire region. The advantage of operating within the zone might prove to be the decisive factor for potential investors to choose Nis over other cities, which would draw new investments to Nis, thereby reducing the enormous unemployment rate – Kostic says.

There are 14 zones on around 100,000 ha in Serbia, with over 20,000 employees and more than 260 production companies. From 2009 till 2014, the number of the newly employed grew by 15,000, from 4,960 in 2009 to nearly 20,000 in 2014.

From 2012 till 2014, around EUR 1.16 billion was invested, whereas companies' turnover amounted to EUR 11.7 billion. In three years, the export from the zones amounted to EUR 5.12 billion.

Grad Niš

Regionalna privredna komora Niš

Vlada Republike Srbije

Slobodna zona Pirot ad Pirot

Elektronska industrija a.d. Niš

Nis Free Zone

Elektronska Industrija Nis

Dragan Kostic

Chamber of Commerce of Nis