NALED established the Council for small businesses
Small businesses in Serbia have gained a new platform for dialogue with decision-makers and proposing concrete solutions. As part of the "Small and Powerful" project, with the support of the British Embassy, NALED has established the Council for Small Businesses, a working body that brings together around 20 representatives of associations, organizations, and entrepreneurs. The launch of the Council was officially marked by the signing of the Declaration of Establishment, as the first step toward creating a better business environment for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Serbia.
The Council's task is to analyze the regulatory framework, identify obstacles in the daily operations of small businesses, and propose concrete measures to address them. The focus of the work will be directed towards three key areas for the domestic economy: traditional, innovative, and women entrepreneurship.
- The United Kingdom has long recognized that small businesses are the backbone of any stable and healthy economy. Our government is making great efforts to develop a system in which small businesses can grow and thrive. That is why we are thrilled to support NALED and the newly established Council for Small Businesses here in Serbia, which we see as a forum for new ideas and innovations that will lead to greater creativity, new jobs, growth, and empower women entrepreneurs to achieve their potential. – stated Edward Ferguson, British Ambassador to Serbia.
Minister Tatjana Macura emphasized that the establishment of the Council is important as it represents lasting support with a clear goal – for the voice of small businesses, especially women in business, to be understood, respected, and implemented.
- Precisely for this reason, as a minister responsible, among other things, for the economic empowerment of women, but above all as someone coming from the private sector with nearly two decades of experience, I support every initiative that aims to create a more stable, fair, and accessible business environment. Today, we have the opportunity to lay the foundations of a policy that does not distinguish between large and small, male and female, visible and invisible – but a policy that understands that the growth of a small business can mean the education of a child, the livelihood of a family, and the self-confidence of a woman – emphasized the minister.
Violeta Jovanović, Executive Director of NALED, points out that the Council is not just a place for discussion, but a platform for action.
- Our goal is to provide small businesses with encouragement – not only for their voices to be heard, but also to directly participate in shaping the regulations that affect them. The Council will serve as a channel through which proposals and solutions are conveyed to institutions, with the support of British partners and allies of entrepreneurship – stated Jovanović.
As one of its main tasks, the Council will, in the coming months, develop educational programs, workshops, and training to further empower small businesses, improve their skills, and help them find sustainable growth models. Council members will be directly involved in creating recommendations and initiatives that will contribute to reforms and the development of the business environment in Serbia.
