July 9 (SeeNews) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) plans to help at least 130 Serbian companies increase competitiveness under the new project cycle of its advisory programme, a EU official has said.
The EBRD advice will enable the companies "to improve their skills and become more innovative, attract financing, gain relevant expertise and become business leaders, increasing their competitiveness and productivity," EBRD quoted Steffen Hudolin, Head of Operations in the EU Delegation to Serbia, as saying in a press release on Monday.
Under the programme, which is supported by the European Union, the EBRD connects clients to local consultants and international advisers who can help transform a huge range of businesses, supporting businesses from many industries, such as food and beverages, wholesale and retail distribution and construction and engineering.
"Together with other EU-funded support for the business environment, bank guarantees for access to finance and grants to innovators, we have addressed the most important needs of Serbia’s economy," Hudolin noted.
The programme in Serbia has already reached over 900 businesses and entrepreneurs since 2001 and has been supported by the European Union to the tune of over 14 million euro ($15.7 million) so far.
($ = 0.893142 euro)