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SARAJEVO, May 19 (FENA) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) are stepping up support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina by launching the Go Digital program.
The program was presented today in Sarajevo at Greenpark by Symphony, one of the most successful IT companies in BiH.
The new program is based on three pillars of activities that will help small and medium-sized enterprises invest in the digitalization of their business along with other investments to improve productivity, operational efficiency and resilience.
“SMEs will be able to apply for funds to invest in hardware and software for various digital transformation projects,” explained Manuela Naessl, Director of the EBRD Office for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
These investments can be stand-alone or in addition to other key investments in automation or equipment that improves environmental protection, product quality.
The aim is to encourage the digital transformation of SMEs and make them more competitive in EU markets in line with the standards required by EU directives.
Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Johann Sattler underlined that the EU4SMEs Program is part of the EU's assistance in supporting the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and the transition to a future-oriented economy.
EBRD, in co-operation with local financial institutions, will launch a specialized credit line, while the EU is financing grants of up to 15 per cent of the total loan to make SME investments in digitalisation, automation, competitiveness and green technologies more affordable.
Go Digital in BiH will also offer SMEs access to tailor-made advisory services and training to help them better understand digitalisation opportunities. This knowledge will help companies find the right approach and invest in digital transformation according to their needs.
“Taking advantage of digitalization is important for companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina that compete in the local and international market. Working with local commercial banks, these competitiveness credit lines will enable SMEs to obtain financing to digitize and automate their business according to their specific needs,” said Manuela Naessl.
The program will also be complemented by activities implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) in BiH, which will provide support for building ecosystems for digitization, automation and innovation in BiH.
Eva Naeher, Program Director at GIZ, points out that Digital Innovation Hubs are an important concept in supporting digitalisation and innovation measures in SMEs. The services provided can help SMEs improve their products, processes and structures and can help them enter new markets,” Naeher said.
(FENA) A. B.
