CITY OF NOVI SAD BECOMES THE OWNER OF 38 HECTARES OF LAND SUITABLE FOR INVESTORS

Today in the City Hall, in attendance of the public notary, the Contract on Land Transfer from the ownership of the Republic of Serbia to that of the City of Novi Sad has been certified, based on the Conclusion of the Government of the Republic of Serbia. The Contract was signed by Mayor of Novi Sad Miloš Vučević and Manager of the Republic Property Directorate Jovan Vorkapić and it refers to the transfer of ownership of more than 38 hectares of land in the North industrial zone, in the area from the rear of the Novi Sad Oil Refinery to the Belgrade-Subotica highway. In that location the City of Novi Sad should perform the land development, to create conditions for construction of an investor’s factory which would employ about 2,000 people.

- I am glad that the City of Novi Sad has after many years gained the ownership over this attractive piece of land and that we will start the opening of a new work zone in Novi Sad. I am thankful to the Republic of Serbia on the support, primarily to the Prime Minister, as well as to the Republic Property Directorate on their cooperation and efficiency. Novi Sad is very fast going to adapt this land to the purpose and I hope that our investments in the subject area will make us even more attractive to potential investors. I am referring to the North 4 Work Zone, at the area of 38 hectares located next to the E-75 Highway on the right side when looked from Novi Sad in the direction of Belgrade. For a long time Novi Sad has not had a more attractive location for investors and now we can be competitive in relation to other municipalities that offer construction land and attract investors by offering sites close to the highway, primarily in Vojvodina. This Contract was preceded by serious and complex processes that are the result of intensive work of almost two years. I would like to thank the councilors of the Novi Sad City Assembly for supporting this and for authorizing me to sign this Contract on behalf of the City, which enriches Novi Sad with additional 38 hectares of land – said Mayor Vučević.

The Mayor emphasized that for decades Novi Sad did not have anything to offer to investors in such an attractive area, besides one location which is intended for archeological research in the next ten years.

- The location in the North 4 Zone is well-positioned since it is in the proximity of the Novi Sad Port, Corridor 7, the Customs Free Zone, the Highway and the Danube-Tisa-Danube Canal, and we are getting ready to implement first land development activities on the related plot in the shortest possible time, as early as this year. It is for this reason that we are experiencing temporary delays in some other infrastructure projects, because we believe that creation of new jobs is far more important than the eruption of new buildings. The City is completely solvent and I hope that during 2016 and 2017 it will start serious construction operations - the Mayor said and stressed that investors are ready to build, and the City needs to be their partner, to monitor investment trends, and not to be obstructive, but cooperative in accordance with the constitutional and statutory powers under the local self-government.

Mr. Jovan Vorkapić , Manager of the Republic Property Directorate, said that there is no better and more concrete way of support  of the State Government to the City of Novi Sad and its leadership than the one related to the development of new projects that will enable employment of Novi Sad citizens in the Work Zone.

- This land, which the Republic of Serbia has transferred to the City of Novi Sad ownership, is worth around 12.5 million euros. We want to provide the absolute support to the City of Novi Sad in the further development of this site, and we expect that the City will execute the portion of obligations concerning the construction of necessary infrastructure in the shortest possible time – Mr. Vorkapić said.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia made a decision to transfer the public property right of the real estate i.e. construction land in the state ownership, without compensation,  to the public property right of the City of Novi Sad and in the frame of bringing the land to the planned purpose, given that this land is intended for construction of facilities used in the realization of economic development projects whose implementation would increase the number of employees in the economy sector and, in proportion,  the public revenue.  The contracting parties jointly concluded that the City of Novi Sad is the investor of the infrastructure construction necessary for equipping of the land in question in its full capacity and is obliged, after the demarcation of land between its public purpose and commercial purpose, and completion of construction of infrastructure facilities, to transfer those infrastructure facilities and associated land to the competent legal entities.

Novi Sad, 26th  October 2015