Contract signed: €165 million to Serbia. Vučić: "This is great and good news" PHOTO

Contract signed: €165 million to Serbia. Vučić: "This is great and good news" PHOTO

It is about an agreement that provides assistance to our country in order to help it cope with the current energy crisis.

"Today, what was signed represents 1 percent of our income for the annual budget. They gave their money from their taxpayers. It is important that people know that, 165 million euros is exactly as I said, it is a big help for us. We are infinitely grateful for that. Yes, in the division of labor that exists in Europe, we will be able to save some of the small and medium-sized enterprises. And we would not be able to do that without the support and help of the EU. This is a great gift for us, great sun of money, and we greatly appreciate it," said Vučić in his address.

He pointed out that the exchange of goods with the EU has increased 4 times, that we have about 2 billion direct investments.

"Our merchandise exchange amounted to 40 billion euros, which is a huge growth, because it represents 59 of our total exchange with the whole world. In conclusion with the year 2022, our trade exchange with the EU has increased four times. Just so that people understand what we live on. People should know that we pay our professors, doctors, all public workers from this," he said.

He said that Serbia depends on the EU in many ways, that without it, it is difficult or impossible to move forward, and that those who mention that there are the possibilities of alternative roads are not telling the truth.

"This is great and good news," emphasized Vučić.

The agreement was signed in the presence of President Vučić and the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, the Minister for European Integration, Tanja Miščević, and the deputy head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Plamena Halačeva.

The event was attended by Minister of Finance Siniša Mali, Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedović and General Director of "Elektromreža Srbije" Jelena Matejić.

The money is made available for the implementation of the energy road map of the Government of Serbia, which describes what the EU money should be spent on.

The plan contains a large number of measures, such as providing subsidies for vulnerable households, and thanks to this, at least the same number of households will be protected this year as in 2022.

This number is expected to gradually increase to 190,000 households by the end of 2023.

In practice, protected households with two members who pay electricity bills of around 3,770 dinars will pay 1,721.81 dinars less.

Another measure is to protect small and medium-sized businesses from high electricity prices to help them continue to operate despite high electricity prices.

Of these, at least the same number of companies as in the previous year, at least 70,000, will be supported.

The third measure is energy savings through incentives for electricity consumers, and the fourth is increased competition in the gas and electricity markets, which implies the separation and certification of all gas operators, opening of the gas market and conducting auctions for producers of electricity from renewable sources.

The fifth measure is energy security, which implies co-financing of projects, adoption of an investment plan in the power sector and adoption of an investment plan in the oil and gas sector.

The sixth measure involves the promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, which includes a subsidy scheme for households in multi-family residential buildings to implement energy efficiency measures and subsidize solar panels, heat pumps for private homes, small and medium-sized enterprises and public buildings.