prijava
BIHAĆ, July 31 (FENA) - Bihać hosted today the Sixth BiH Diaspora Business Forum, organized by Our Perspective Association, the Una Sana Canton (USC) Chamber of Commerce, and the BiH Diaspora Business Center, with support from the USAID Diaspora Invest Project.
The Una-Sana Canton Prime Minister Mustafa Ružnić and Bihać Mayor Šuhreta Fazlić expressed their appreciation to USAID for supporting diaspora activities, and highlighted the results that local communities in the region have made to encourage investment. The potential of the diaspora was discussed by BHdiaFora President Sanel Jakupović and the USC Chamber of Commerce President Enes Ružnić.
According to Jakupović, the forum offers a unique opportunity for local businessmen and other development actors in BiH to meet with the most successful businessmen of BiH origin who have their current place of residence outside BiH.
“Also, it provides an ideal opportunity for business networking and exploring investment opportunities. Numerous investment projects, examples of good practice of diaspora investments in various sectors, experiences of other countries in dealing with diasporas are presented at the event,” Jakupović added.
The Forum discussed the potential of BiH tourism, attracting foreign investment and investing in the metal sector.
“We had the opportunity to talk about tourism as the fastest growing sector in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina and opportunities to attract investment from the diaspora. We then shared the experiences of diaspora mediation in bringing foreign companies to BiH. BHdiaFora's third panel focused on the metal sector as the most attractive business for diaspora investors. Feedback from the field is extremely important, investor stories we could hear encourage others, and we expect that today's gathering of over 100 participants will result in new partnerships,” concluded Armin Alijagić of the BiH Diaspora Business Center.
“Ninety percent of diaspora investors are mostly driven by private connections. We need to take an institutional approach, like what USAID Diaspora Invest does. Everything is close to us, everything is available to us, we have our advantages and we have something to offer,” said Ejub Topić of HIK company, which was launched on the initiative of the diaspora community.
Dragan Babić connected with a foreign investor and started a company in Derventa, where his parents originate from. They are designing in 3D software tools for the production of automatic transmission fins for cars. WEBO was founded in Germany in 2008 and currently has 140 employees. They expanded their business in America, Japan, Asia, and are now successfully operating through a new company in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We started a company with a foreign investor. We have 15 employees, now we want to hire another 5. WEBO is an example of good practice in Derventa,” Babić concludes.
Alen Henda from the IT company "TNT Soft" spoke about the launch of this company in Cazin, as well as the perspectives of the IT sector in our country.
“Based on the needs of the parent company in Vienna, we transferred a new part of our business to Cazin. TNT Soft has a team of developers, who produce web and mobile applications. We have recruited 14 new people in recent years, so we are very pleased. We need to act on the awareness of young people, work on developing skills. The IT sector is the sector that needs the least investment, and creates new jobs, and is down to the person who wants to learn. Students in this sector have a good background, but they need more practice,” Henda said.
Muhamed Smajlović from Sanski Most spoke about the launch of Delta Plus in Sanski Most, which is focused on manufacturing for the German market, and was created on the basis of a joint investment project involving diaspora investors.
“The company 'Delta Plus' is engaged in the production of PVC joinery. The company was created by connecting three investors, two of them from our country, one from Germany. They have companies focused on the construction sector in Germany and have decided to start a business in BiH. We are already working on capacity expansion; we have introduced new lines. However, the needs of our customers are far greater and we will continue to invest. We have created normal conditions, good salaries, we have free Saturdays and Sundays, restaurants that provide workers with food, we have become a desirable employer,” said Smajlović.
Regarding the metal sector, Hamdija Malić from the World Federation of the Diaspora of BiH, Mirsad Ramić from the company 'Cromex', Dino Čavkić from the company 'C.J.' and Hikmet Kurbegović from CNC Lab talked about those important aspects.
“The state has to live on something, but it has to be distributed. The metal sector is a leader in the Una-Sana Canton, but somehow we are not recognized as leading, as if we can do it ourselves, like we do not need support. Most metal companies are subsidiaries of large foreign companies. We are a domestic company started by entrepreneurs from our diaspora community in Austria. And we all have to work together to improve and connect. We have come together here; we want to cooperate with one another. Our companies can cooperate without any problems and we can make a step,” said Čavkić.
More than a hundred participants at today's BHdiaFor had the opportunity to discuss new forms of cooperation and partnerships, and the organizers emphasized that this annual gathering will continue to exist, as a central event for gathering business diaspora. Positive messages from today's meeting can also encourage new investments and the continuation of trends of greater involvement of the diaspora community in BiH's business development.
(FENA) L. N.
