Vesic: Amendments to construction law to improve procedures

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic said on Monday amendments to the Planning and Construction Law would shorten procedures and make them more transparent.

The law will be the most environmentally friendly to date and help the construction sector grow in 2023 after the industry saw a 10 pct decline last year, Vesic said at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (PKS).

He said the amended law, to be passed together with a new national spatial plan, would lend a new impetus to the construction industry, which accounts for 6 pct of the Serbian GDP.

He said one third of employees in the sector were foreign nationals and that amendments to a law on employment of foreigners were expected to help tackle a lack of workforce in the industry.

PKS President Marko Cadez said the amended law would help the construction sector boost Serbia's economic growth this year.

He said the Serbian construction industry, consisting of 60,000 companies with over 200,000 employees in total, was spurring growth in 22 other sectors.