prijava
BANJA LUKA, January 2 (FENA) - Difficult conditions and decreased economic activity marked 2019, which is why the Republika Srpska Chamber of Commerce (RS) is urging the implementation of necessary measures to stop the negative trends.
“It is necessary to implement measures related to strengthening the competitiveness of RS economy, putting public companies in function of development of economy and society as a whole, reforming and modernizing public administration and intensifying social dialogue of all partners,” Vladimir Blagojević, spokesman of the RS Chamber of Commerce, pointed out for FENA.
In the period January-July 2019, industrial production in this entity decreased by 12.2 percent, compared to the same period in 2018, industrial employment decreased by 0.3 percent, and a negative trend was observed and foreign trade activities, where the fall in foreign demand led to a 7.3 percent drop in the total volume of trade. Exports decreased by 3.2 percent in ten months and imports increased by 10.3 percent.
On the other hand, there is an evident increase in average net salary, which in the period January-October 2019 amounted to 910 KM.
Current business trends in RS are a consequence of low competitiveness of the economy, which is a basic prerequisite for winning new customers, both domestically and internationally.
“In the coming period, these trends must be reversed in a positive direction, in order to create conditions for growth in the volume of production in industry, as well as all the parameters of foreign trade, investment, employment, which will eventually result in growth of gross domestic product (GDP) in which industry will have increased participation,” explains Blagojević.
He said that in the entity budget, it is necessary to provide additional means of support, create systemic measures in order to stop the outflow of labor force.
In addition to the education reform, through adaptation to the requirements and needs of economy, the domestic economy must enter the process of digitalization, and the prerequisites for this are the adoption of strategic documents and action plans that will define the directions of development of the digitized RS economy.
“We must pay special attention to technological advancement of production processes, through the procurement of modern equipment and introduction of modern technologies,” spokesman of the RS Chamber of Commerce said for FENA.
(FENA) A. B.
