Nikolic discusses with bankers their assistance in recovery

BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic talked on Friday with chairmen of the executive boards of nine banks with the largest market share in Serbia.

President Nikolic said that the scope of the flooding that hit Serbia is such that it is very important that institutions and companies join efforts and offer coordinated assistance to the flood-affected areas, the president's press service has released.

"I am appealing to you that, in consultations with your headquarters, you find a way to assist in the recovery of the economy, infrastructure, damaged and destroyed facilities in Serbia, apart from one-off financial assistance and humanitarian aid," Nikolic said.

The Serbian president called on bankers to together develop a proposal for passing a special law and bylaws, harmonized with the existing regulations, which should allow for Serbia to focus on the recovery as soon as possible, without exposing itself to certain risks.

"We expect the banks to provide special loans with a longer grace period, without any or with very low interest rates, as strong and healthy banks could only operate in an economically strong Serbia," he said.

President of the Association of Banks Veroljub Dugalic underlined that bankers are aware of the gravity of the situation, noting that banks gave assistance during the national emergency, and will continue to help during the country's recovery.

Banks have so far earmarked RSD 100 million for assistance to the flood-hit areas, and after this meeting, a framework of future activities will be determined in a meeting of the managing board of the Association of Serbian Banks.

Chairwoman of the Banca Intesa Executive Board Draginja Djuric underscored that the bank...

Continue reading on: