DROBNJAKOVIC: Economy depends on SMEs, Association of Employers wants taxes and contributions to be reduced

The economy depends on small and medium enterprises, not just here, but even in countries such as Germany, Srdjan Drobnjakovic, the director of the Serbian Association of Employers, says for eKapija and adds that the coronavirus crisis has affected the SME sector, entrepreneurs and craftsmen the most.

– Hair salons, hospitality facilities and newsstands are closed and left without earnings overnight. It remains to be seen what the state will do. We all need to be as responsible as we can be, and the potential extension of the curfew would additionally shorten the working day – Drobnjakovic points out.

The Serbian Association of Employers advocates for the advance income tax and VAT not to be collected per invoice.

– There will practically be no income, so our initiative is for the income tax and VAT to be collected per actual payment – Drobnjakovic says.

According to him, the Serbian Association of Employers has also asked for lower credit interest rates and for affordable credit refinancing to be enabled for SMEs.

Also, one of the requests is for taxes and contributions to be drastically reduced.

– These are the measures we've proposed together with the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, with which we have a very successful cooperation. We also communicate daily with the crisis group in charge of economy affairs.

He adds that large companies are also in trouble.

– Large companies are mostly related to production and they are asking for electricity bills and other obligations toward public companies, primarily EPS and Srbijagas, to be postponed – Drobnjakovic.

I. Milovanovic

Unija poslodavaca Srbije Beograd

Privredna komora Srbije

Srđan Drobnjaković

coronavirus

small and medium enterprises

entrepreneurs

craftsmen

lump sum taxpayers

advance income tax payment

advance VAT payment

lower credit interest rates

credit refinancing

taxes and contributions

curfew

state of emergency