President of the Republic of Srpska attends a session of the Employment Service of the Republic of Srpska Steering Board

The President of the Republic of Srpska Željka Cvijanović attended a session of the Steering Board of the Employment Service of the Republic of Srpska where they discussed activities within the implementation of the “Entrepreneurship Incentive Programme for Young People Under 35 – Start – Up Srpska”.

For the second cycle of the “Entrepreneurship Incentive Programme for Young People Under 35 – Start-Up Srpska, 4.4 million BAM was provided and the projects to be funded were approved at today’s session of the Steering Board of the Employment Service of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka.

The President of the Republic, who hosted a session of the Steering Board of the Employment Service, said that this programme was already delivering results.

“In the last cycle, 3.6 million BAM was provided and there was the same amount for the second cycle. In the first cycle, 112 people were provided with funds, who employed an additional 40 workers. In the second cycle, 102 projects were approved and we hope to have a total of at least 150 new employees”, said the President Cvijanović.

The President of the Republic clarified that the programme is financed by the funds received by the Republic of Srpska from the Government of Serbia and also provided by the Government of the Republic of Srpska and the Employment Service of Srpska.

“Support was received by those who we believe can be self-sustaining, who have shown initiative and come up with a good business plan. They received a grant to start a business. This activity is in addition to other projects existing under the Employment Programme, for which significant funding is being allocated. In the times of crisis, we have allocated 16 million BAM annually, and now this amount reaches 30 million BAM”, said the President Cvijanović.

According to the President of Srpska, this programme is being treated in a special way as an integral part of the national demographic renewal programme.

“One dimension of the national demographic renewal programme are pro-natal measures, and the other is helping young people to become successful in business and to access self-employment with the support of the state with a serious amount of money they do not have to pay back if they do what they commit to. To anyone who has a serious intention and ambition, this can serve as a good basis”, it was stressed by the President Cvijanović who also stressed that Srpska will continue with this programme and that it will be strengthened as agreed at the session of the Employment Service Steering Board.