At the proposal of the Ministry of Economy, the Government of the Sarajevo Canton has adopted the Annual Plan for the Implementation of the Small Business in 2017. At the proposal of the The Plan contains incentive measures, programs to implement the planned incentive measures, financial resources needed, sources of funds, criteria, conditions and ways of using funds. The Plan is made in accordance with the Sarajevo Canton Development Strategy by 2020, the Law on Promotion of Small Business and Program for small business development for 2016-2019. period.
The Ministry of Economy of the Sarajevo Canton has defined nine programs in the Annual Plan of the Implementation of Small Business Development Program for 2017, with a total value of 2,480,000 KM to be implemented this year. The first program is Crediting Small Business Entities under more favorable conditions, and its value is 1,090,000 KM. Its aim is to secure the financing of business entities through subsidized interest rates with the purpose of more productive business and growth of economic activity, as well as launching new ones and maintaining the existing production.
The second program is Subsidy for interest on a loan in the amount of 750,000 KM, which includes subsidizing part of the paid interest costs from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2016. The subsidies realized should be used for investments in carrying out the registered activity, and the beneficiary of the subsidy should provide proof with the Report on the spending of the funds. The improvement of the institutional entrepreneurial infrastructure is a program that supports the Regional Development Agency (SERDA) and the Chamber of Commerce of the Sarajevo Canton on the development of the business environment and it has been allocated an amount of 180,000 KM. Funds of 80,000 KM will be allocated for the Support in the application of technical standards and quality standards, i.e. for the purpose of facilitating the access of these business entities to domestic and foreign markets, and 20,000 KM is planned to improve the work of the association of tradesmen. The incentive for newly founded start-ups for small business is one of the programs of this Annual Plan, worth 80,000 KM, and includes subsidizing the registration and start-up costs of newly-created – star up enterprises for sustainability and economic development.
The priority will be given to companies engaged in manufacturing activities. Among the new programs are the Incentives for the Development of Women's Entrepreneurship, where 80,000 KM will be directed to a small business entity in the Sarajevo Canton, which is majority (at least 51%) private companies of women with at least one person employed for an indefinite period of time. For the Incentive of the IT entrepreneurship, through these programs, 160,000 KM has been provided for the purpose of subsidizing the costs of improvement, development and strengthening of this sector.
The aim of the program is to provide IT training companies with training programs, adaptation and training, creating platforms for recruiting training participants in the same or other companies. The incentive for research, development and application of modern technologies and innovation in waste management as a source of energy, encompasses the application of modern technologies and technologies in the use of waste as an energy source, with the best available practices and the preparation of potential projects of small business entities from this sector for applying to EU funds. The value of the program is 40,000 KM.
The implementation of the Annual Small Business Development Plan for 2017 should contribute to the improvement of production processes and market competitiveness of products, networking of production and knowledge, introduction of standardization and certification of new technologies and technological processes, modernization of existing technologies and development of new products and products with higher added value. Following each of these programs, after the Annual Plan has been adopted at the Cantonal Government, the Ministry of Economy will announce public calls and more detail will be presented in the application and implementation of the envisaged incentives for the subjects of the small business in the Sarajevo Canton.
