June 4 (SeeNews) - The Serbian arm of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has opened a 3 million euro ($3.4 million) new production line at its factory in Senta, the Serbian government said.
The factory in Senta, in northern Serbia, is one of the best-performing units of JTI on a global scale and the opening of the new production line represents another step forward in the company's business in the country, the government quoted executive vice president Mutsuo Iwai as saying on Monday.
"JTI's exports in the period from 2006 to the present day have supported Serbia's trade and reached almost $250 million. In addition, JTI is now one of the five largest taxpayers in Serbia with a total contribution of more than $2 billion since 2006," Iwai said in a video file posted on the website of Serbian news agency Tanjug.
The company is the only foreign cigarette manufacturer in Serbia that purchases tobacco from local producers and provides about 1,000 jobs to own employees, tobacco growers and seasonal workers, Iwai said.
JTI has invested $180 million since acquiring the factory in Senta in 2006, the government said. The company exports the cigarettes produced there to Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Croatia and Albania.
($ = 0.887967 euro)