Project under the name ''Path to Success'' has been realised by Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce Vojvodina, The Faculty of Engineering from Novi Sad and Media Invent Agency. It is one of the most important prizes among economic entities and it has been awarded not only to managers and companies, but to ambassadors of culture, sport, informatics, education and information for achieved success and results.

The statue of our first great entrepreneur and owner of the first Serbian multinational company, Kapetan Misa, the work of our academic sculptor Mr Ljubisa Mancic, has been won by Novak Djokovic. The best Serbian tennis player, the third on the world list, will receive the prize as soon as the tournament in Hamburg is over. The number of thirty-six winners includes Emir Kusturica, for culture development, Vojislav Gajic, as the best entrepreneur, Milan Jankovic, for chamber system, Ivana Zigon, an actress as well as many towns that in various ways offer their potentials to entrepreneurs such as Kragujevac, Vrsac and Indjija. Serbian Broadcasting Corporation won the prize in the information providing category, Henkel Merima, for quality and social responsibility, whereas Carnex won the prize for strategic planning and Sinisa Jasnic in the sport category.

Delivering these significant prizes to our best entrepreneurs, managers and enterprises, Mr Milos Bugarin, President of Serbian Chamber of Commerce, emphasized that everybody has its own goal and new success. Serbian Chamber of Commerce is here to help in order to increase the number of individuals, companies and enterprises that will achieve equal results. Only the sum of the best and just-realised goals will provide expected result-to offer goods and services that may be competitive at European and global market, said Mr Milos Bugarin and stated that we have potentials and capacities for so-called European match.  

Serbia sets aside only 0.36% of its small GDP for science, what is much less in relation to the developed countries such as Norway , Finland and Japan . They invest in this field on average 4% of huge GDP, said Minister Assistant at the Ministry of Science, Mr Aleksa Zejak PhD, at the seminar titled ''Innovations and Technologies: Italian experiences, examples and practice of the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia'' held at Serbian Chamber of Commerce. He emphasized that success and participation of our scientists in international projects prove the potentials of Serbian people. Total number of scientists in Serbia amounts to 8 500, while the half of them are not productive. Total of 8 500 scientists, hardly 2 500 of them are from technical-technological field, Mr Zejak said.

Representative of the Internationalization Department within Chamber of Commerce Pordenone Ms Cinzia Piva said that in Italy, exactly in the Region Friulia Venezia Giulia out of total 1 000 residents, 10.5%  are researchers. In addition, this region has great experience what can serve for cooperation with Serbian enterprises.

Technological innovations and environmental protection are very important issues as all enterprises are faced with the need to introduce all technological innovations as well as to save energy, Ms Piva said.

Vice-President of Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Ms Vidosava Dzagic, emphasized that Serbia is supposed to be created in the form of an innovative society based on infrastructure, investments, IT and innovations. She reminded that Italy is one of the most important foreign trade partners of Serbia .

On the basis of export value in 2007 Italy was ranked the first, while according to the import value it was the third. Products of low-phase production such as timber, tenned leather, fruit and mushrooms were mostly exported from Serbia . On the other side major products in imports were products of high-phase production such as agricultural machinery, technology for food processing, white goods and vehicles. Italy is also Serbian significant partner when it comes to investments as companies from this country have started investing in Serbia since the early 2000, concluded Ms Dzagic

Ecological damage, inflicted to our country, may be recovered if the development of civilization would be adjusted with the law of nature. Otherwise, we are going to be left without high-quality soil, healthy and pure waters. Pointing out these basic terms decisive for environmental protection, participants of the Second International Scientific Conference titled ''Remedy, condition and prospects of environmental protection'', organized by Board for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development within Serbian Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Ministry of Environment, have emphasized that environmental protection in Serbia is at very low level.

Mr Dusan Pajkic, Minister Assistant at the Ministry of Environment, stressed the importance of cooperation between domestic science and practice simultaneously implementing global experiences in order to solve our entire possible environment pertaining issues more efficiently. He announced the formation of the Remedy Centre for all projects to be collected in one place and thus financial means would be used more economically. Mr Pajkic said that fines must be leveled with European standards as well, not only regulations.

Speech concerning environmental remedy was delivered by Mr Zoran Matic, Minister Assistant at the Ministry of Environment. He stressed that this year about seven million euro is to be spent to this effect. The country has already identified so-called ''black spots'' that have to be remedied as soon as possible. Those ''black spots'' are Backi kanali, Bor, Pancevo and Novi Sad , though there are plenty of similar critical locations. The recovery measures must be implemented in accordance to the previously made plan. Our problem also lies in few authorised laboratories that may estimate the level of contamination according to criteria. There are yet another problems relating to the privatization of environment and remedy costs on which country have not formulated its opinion yet.

Ms Ljiljana Tanasijevic, project manager of the Board for Environmental Protection, emphasized that the number of solutions concerning purification and recovery of soil and waters are keeping growing. However, we need much bigger investments of the country as well as cooperation between scientific institutions and economy with a view to reducing the extent of pollution and raising the ecological awareness of citizens.

At this gathering twenty-three research papers were presented. In addition to domestic experts there were scientists from Spain , Slovenia , Bulgaria , Czech , Italy and Slovakia . One of the noteworthy is the paper of Mr Miroslava Vrvica PhD, Professor at the Faculty of Chemistry from Belgrade . He suggests microorganisms, green chemistry and bio-technology as ways for remedy of polluted soil and waters in Serbia .

New dairy product that accelerates digestion process, Balans +, has been sold 35 tons per day in the first three months since being launched at the market. Imlek took the first place at the Serbian market of yoghurt in 2007 thanks to its product ''Moja kravica'' with 30% shares, then ''Fit'' followed that recorded an increase of 60% in relation to 2006.

HACCP certificate also contributes a lot to raw materials, technology of production and to its products. All Imlek's products are made of high-quality milk being collected from 14 000 producers on the 50% of Serbian territory. In the last three years Imlek invested over 50 million EUR in the improvement of quality and of production scope.

It provides a wide range of Imlek's high-quality products, after being processed and packed, to be offered to a consumer.

The overall objective is to invest in new products and strengthen the portfolio of dairy drinks in order to meet all various needs of our consumers. Our chance lies in the increase of consumption of dairy products in the future, stressed Mr Srdjan Popovic, executive director of Marketing Department at Imlek. He added that Imlek bought dairy from Bitolj in Macedonia that is a leading dairy at that market. In Bosnia and Herzegovina Imlek already has its three dairies. As far as sale in Montenegro is concerned it exceeded our expectations.

Company AD Imlek completely redesigned its products last year. Total of 80 products, six are entirely new products and seven are innovations. Its packaging has been changed and 68 new packs launched at the market. In addition to the current ones, Imlek prepares another surprise for its consumers and that is Fit Fat Burner yoghurt.

Serbia itself has great potential for growing flowers as it has circa 1200 florists, skilled-entrepreneurs, Belgrade as its big consumption zone, low taxes, except for value added tax (VAT).

The Republic of Serbia has insufficiently developed market for this kind of commodity, emphasized Mr Henk de Groot, expert in Dutch organization for flower-growing PUM, at the presentation titled ''Global flower market operations-solutions proposed for Serbia '', being held at Serbian Chamber of Commerce. This expert also listed all possible problems florists are facing with in Serbia such as low prices for florists, shortage of cooling-devices, non-standardization, disorganized demand-supply chain as well as bad packaging.

Flower price is the most important thing as if a flower-grower does not earn enough, he will not be engaged in this activity nor flower-growing will develop properly, stressed Mr Henk de Groot. He advised all flower growers and vendors to provide flower-growing guidelines to all possible buyers when selling flowers.

Secretary of the Association of Agriculture, Food Processing and Tobacco Industry within Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Mr Milan Prostran, emphasized that SCC has always been and it will further be on the side of florists, as it is an activity people are mostly engaged in for its beauty and profit.     

Paper work operations leave administration sector in domestic enterprises, and computer software packages take place instead in business operations what provides more efficient, faster and cheaper running a business. One of such software packages, presented at the gathering of SMEs representatives at Serbian Chamber of Commerce, is Microsoft Dynamics NAV Express of course. This software package provides neat, simple and fast done administration procedures, whereas papers are not used at all.

Presenting this program, Mr Nenad aleksic, a representative of Microsort Dynamics, stressed that it is a program being used in over 130 countries all around the world and is very useful and favourable for small and medium-sized enterprises. It is integrated solution comprised of arranged modules being adjusted with business legislation. It also provides efficient running a business of SMEs. NAV Express Program enables financial review, reserves statement, employees' work, revenues and expenditures, reorganizing and savings.

Software package price is from 30 500 to 18 000 EUR and it is profitable after one year usage. Microsoft provides to its partners installation and connecting within the network of an enterprise as well as training staff. It last about fifteen days and logistics is provided as long as the whole system has been used. According to the Microsoft experts it saves time in the extent of 40 to 90% thus reducing costs of business operations as well. It is about sixteen SMEs that use some of software packages in their enterprises as a part of administration procedure. Paper work has almost been completely excluded in the IT developed countries.

Serbian agriculture needs system of cooperative societies as the development of agriculture depends on it. Serbia has changed its attitude towards it and it will stimulate it as much as entire agriculture. It may be said to be a driven force of Serbian agriculture. Furthermore, each cooperative will be stimulated by EUR 120 per hectare. Therefore, Serbian cooperatives are also our future, not only the past, noted Serbian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Mr Slobodan Milosavljevic, at the sitting of the Management Board of Serbian Cooperative Union held in Serbian Chamber of Commerce. Talking about the forthcoming cooperative regulations, being in the procedure of adoption for a longer time, Mr Milosavljevic pointed that the preparation of these regulations are not under competence of this Ministry, but the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development. A few years ago, there were three versions of that law, but due to the Government constitution changes, none of these was adopted. Even this law in preparation will wait the Government to be constituted first. According to Mr Milosavljevic it is unreal to expect this new law to enter the adoption procedure till the end of 2008.

Mr Milosavljevic stated that the agricultural strategy is expected to be finished as soon as the new Government is constituted. After that, Law on agriculture should be adopted. Average 60 offices dealing with the development of rural areas of Serbia will be opened.

President of Serbian Cooperative Union, Mr Stojan Jevtic stated that there are 2 108 registered cooperative offices employing 9 731 people. About 100 000 agricultural workers are cooperative members. According to him, average 200 000 hectare of cultivable soil being owned by combines, privatized or in the privatization procedure should be return to farmers. The problems relating to cooperative property have not been resolved yet, said Mr Jevtic.  

Serbian Chamber of Commerce and regional chambers of commerce through the training of its appointed representatives will help them to gain their rights more easily- getting informed and notified on certain issues as well as in any other possible ways. The most significant thing is to comprehend operation mechanisms of the Law on free access to the information of public importance, stated Mr Marinko Radic, Chief of Creditor's Office Staff for the information of public importance.

Ms Jovanka Arsic, Executive of Center for Education and Professional Training within Serbian Chamber of Commerce, reminded all presented that promotion of information booklet on the work of SCC was held in collaboration with the Creditor for the information of public importance, Mr Rodoljub Sabic, on 18 March 2008. Therefore, representatives of chamber system in Serbia and of public companies were familiarized with all their obligations and duties stipulated by the Law on free access to the information of public importance, as well as with mutual project of Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Creditor for the information of public importance on providing education and training of subjects being responsible for making decisions on requests for access to the information of public importance. In accordance with this project is provided the training of the appointed representatives of regional chambers of commerce in the implementation of the Law on free access to the information of public importance, said Ms Arsic.

This seminar is organised by the Centre for Education and Professional Training within Serbian Chamber of Commerce.      

Even twenty five eminent and successful businessmen are ready to strengthen and re-establish cooperation with enterprises from Kosovo Province with a view to improving the economy of this part of Serbia . At the same time this was a prerequisite of the gathering attended by eminent business people as well as the representatives of chambers of commerce of Serbia and initiated by Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce Vojvodina and Chamber of Commerce Kosovo and Metohija. This gathering was held in Kosovska Mitrovica in the early March of 2008.

At the third sitting of the Chamber Assembly, Mr Milos Bugarin, President of Serbian Chamber of Commerce, presented all agreements achieved at this gathering to the members of the Assembly. Among agreements the noteworthy are the establishment of the database on production capacity of the Province, information on available agricultural soil, spring harvest, free goods exchange as well as harmonization of declarations relating to commodities, identifying of financial resources necessary for economic development of the Province, encouraging SME and entrepreneurship development, linking up of enterprises and companies with prospective partners and entrepreneurs, providing the launch of oil derivatives on this market and organising required professional assistance and proper education to the economic companies on the territory of Kosovo Province. SCC President expressed that Working Team comprising of the representatives of chambers of commerce in Serbia is responsible for the implementation of the arrangements reached at the meeting in Kosovska Mitrovica.

Mr Milivoje Miletic, Coordinator of Regional Cooperation Bureau, familiarized all those who attended the sitting of the Chamber Assembly with available data on goods exchange with Kosovo and Metohija as well as other parts of Serbia pointing out that the total turnover in 2007 amounted to USD 199.7 million, of which USD 189.7 million was the goods delivered to the Province. Mr Milivoje Miletic also spoke about possible economic problems and obstacles business people are confronted with such as taxation, customs duties, VAT and many others.

All activities relating to the implementation of agreements reached at the First Summit of Serbian exporters, the establishment of National Competition Council, report on annual financial plan of SCC as well as the initiative notified to the Government of the Republic of Serbia for creating SME and Entrepreneurship Forum are also adopted at today-held sitting of the Chamber Assembly.

However, Mr Cedomir Vukic was unanimously relieved of vice-president position, while instead of him, Ms Vidosava Dzagic was elected by the members of the Chamber Assembly as a new one.