By Bojana Sutvic
Sarajevo, Bosnia Today
Nermin Mandra is Mayor of one of the fastest developing cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kakanj has attracted many investors after local authorities created conditions for doing business.
“By hard work, Kakanj is rising from the mediocrity and apathy typical for small local community, outgrowing local boundaries and often managing to match much larger cities in many fields. In Kakanj, human relations are good, and there are many sports and cultural events, a lot of enthusiasm, social activism…” Mandra said in an interview with Bosnia Today.
BT: You have undertaken different measures lately to make Kakanj a favorable place to invest. Did investors recognize your efforts and what was their reaction?
– In the past three years we have managed to introduce numerous benefits for investors, to promote those benefits in the media, and change numerous regulations in order to speed up administrative procedures. We have also done a lot to complete construction of entrepreneurial zone “Vrtliste”. Shortly after we introduced favorable conditions for businesses, investors began to emerge.
We warmly welcomed them, and offered officials of local administration to be part of their team, in terms of taking over all the work on obtaining different permits, not only in Kakanj, but also Zenica and Sarajevo, with the aim for the investors not to be scared by the complicated procedures.
These activities have produced great results. Kakanj is continuously working on creating an environment that is favorable for new investment and new employment.
We have clearly said that the municipality does not hire people, we create conditions and benefits for starting private business. Each young person and each citizen who comes up with a certain entrepreneurial idea can get incentive from the Municipality.
Our aims are to awaken the entrepreneurial spirit, to help self-employment and break the decades-old stereotypes in Kakanj and other industrial cities that the only way to earn a living is to get hired in large conglomerates.
BT: Which are the biggest investments in Kakanj and are there announcement of new projects?
– Last year, mattress factory “Moj San” was built in Kakanj. Construction of the pellet plant is in the final stage.
Several facilities are being built in the Business Zone “Vrtliste”, of companies “Explosive” Zenica, “Trgosped” Kakanj, “Elektrovar” Kakanj, “Delta Petrol” Kakanj…
The implementation of the investment by company “Agroproteinka” Zagreb, worth 20 million KM, will start soon. We are negotiating with several more investors.
BT: Some of the biggest investments that have been announced recently are those of companies Agroproteinka and Bajra. In which phases are those projects?
– The municipal administration has done all it could to facilitate the activities of investors.
Land was given under the favorable conditions, a number of favorable conditions are provided, the municipality has helped in obtaining permits, and the start of realization of the investment is now up to the investors.
One of these investors has already done the initial preparatory work so we hope to see the beginning of the construction of production facilities very soon.
BT: Do you have support of the state and entity level authorities?
– We are satisfied with the cooperation with higher levels of government. Authorities at all levels are making progress in improving the business environment, eliminating administrative barriers… But there is still a lot of work in front of all of us.
BT: What are, in your opinion, generally the main advantages of Bosnia and Herzegovina when it comes to attracting foreign investment?
– Our main and most important resource are people and working enthusiasm. People in BiH are hard workers, competent and with skills, they are committed to business, responsible…
In BiH, there is a tradition of such attitude toward work. Let us recall the fact that by 1990s our people were even producing airplanes.
The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina should be given a chance, and they will appreciate their work and will give their best in the work process. That should be our main trump card in attracting investment.