Komparativna prednost Srbije

Privredni izveštaj / Economic Report - ZORANA MIHAJLOVIĆ

Samo energetika može da pokrene kompletnu industriju i na direktan ili indirektan način zaposli desetine hiljada ljudi, objašnjava naša sagovornica. Iako je žena u tipično muškom zanimanju (nisu u pitanju predrasude većsloženost posla) sa ministarkom energetike i zaštite životne sredine razgovaralismo o energetskim potencijalima Srbije,budućim projektima i ostalim aktuelnim i stručnim temama. Objasnila nam je zašto je baš njen resor strateški važan, zbog čega nije dobro privatizovati EPS i kako će Srbija pomoći sunarodnicima na severu Kosova da ne dođe do još jedne energetske krize.

Zašto je energetika strateška privredna grana razvoja Srbije?

Samo energetika može da pokrene kompletnu industriju i da zaposli na direktan i indirektan način desetine hiljada ljudi. Na izgradnji Južnog toka očekuje se angažovanje najmanje 15.000 ljudi, a kada bude završen – oko 500. Za izgradnju jedne termoelektrane ili hidroelektrane angažuje se pet do deset hiljada ljudi u procesu izgradnje. Onog trenutka kada krene realizacija infrastrukturnih projekata, pokreće se mašinogradnja, industrija, građevinarstvo. O značaju energetskih projekata dovoljno je reći da daju zemlji politički, ekonomski i strateški značaj.

Da li je Srbija energetski bezbedna zemlja?

Ne. Nema ni jedne zemlje na svetu koja je potpuno energetski bezbedna, ali ima zemalja koje su više ili manje energetski bezbedne. Srbija nije bezbedna u domenu gasne i naftne politike, a u oblasti elektroenergetike svakako može biti. Izgradnjom novih objekata i povećanjem energetske efikasnosti, Srbija mora da koristi sve resurse koje ima, lignit, mrki ugalj, obnovljive izvore enegije i, naravno, vodu za velike hidroelektrane.

Jedna od aktuelnih tema je i Južni tok. Kada će početi njegova gradnja?

To nije samo pitanje Srbije i javnog preduzeća Srbijagas, već i pitanje partnera u ovom projektu. Verujem da će preduzeće Južni tok Srbija svoj deo posla na projektu započeti i realizovati u dogovorenim rokovima. Naša želja je da izgradnja počne što pre, jer je to dobro za Srbiju i sa stanovišta enegetike, ali i radi ekonomskog razvoja.

Privatizacija javnih preduzeća postala je ekonomski imperativ. Da li je u našem interesu da on ostane u vlasništvu države?

Interes države i građana Srbije je Elektroprivreda Srbije – da najveći proizvođač i snabdevač električnom energijom ostane u vlasništvu Republike Srbije. U Vladi se ne razmišlja o privatizaciji EPS-a, ali ćemo za pojedine projekte svakako pokušati da pronađemo strateške partnere. EPS mora drugačije da posluje i funkcioniše tako što će se reformisati. To je jedini način da bude konkurentno preduzeće i izdrži otvaranje trzišta električne enegije.

Podeljeno je oko 300 dozvola za mini-elektrane. Koje kompanije su spremne za ovaj posao?

Investitori koji će graditi mini-hidroelektrane na 212 lokacija u Srbiji izabrani su na osnovu međunarodnog javnog poziva, a konačna lista investitora objavljena je još 1. jula na sajtu Ministarstva. Minihidroelektrane biće građene u ukupno 17 opština u Srbiji, koje mahom spadaju u red nedovoljno razvijenih. Zahvaljujući ovim investicijama, te opštine će dobiti određeni broj novih radnih mesta, mogućnost da se uposle domaća mala i srednja preduzeća, ali i dodatne prihode u lokalnim budžetima, kroz naplatu naknade za korišćenje voda.

(Nastavak teksta u štampanom izdanju)

Serbia's Comparative Advantage

Only energy can set in motion the whole industry and employ tens of thousands of people directly and indirectly – our collocutor explains. Although she is a woman in a typically masculine position (it is not about prejudices, but about the complexity of the job), we talked to the Minister of Energy and Environment Protection about Serbia’s potential for energy production, future projects and other current technical subjects. She explained us why her field of competence is strategically important, why EPS should not be privatized and how will Serbia help our compatriots in the north of Kosovo, in such a way that there will be no energy crisis again.

Why is energetics a strategic economic branch for the developerment of Serbia?

Only energy can set in motion the whole industry and employ tens of thousands of people directly and indirectly. It is expected that 15,000 people will be employed during the construction of the South Stream and 500 after it will be finished. In order to build a hydroelectric power station, it is necessary to employ between five and ten thousand people during the building process. When large infrastructures projects are launched, machine building and construction activities are boosted. Regarding the importance of energy production projects it is enough to say that they give political, economic and strategic importance to the country.

Is a Serbia an energetically safe country?

No. No country in the world is completely safe from the standpoint of energy supply, but there are countries that are more or less safe from the energetic point of view. Serbia is not safe in the field of gas and oil policies, but in the field of electric energy it might be. In order to build new objects and increase energy efficiency, Serbia must use all the resources it has, from lignite to brown coal, including renewable resources and water for hydroelectric power stations.

One of the current subjects is the South stream. When will its construction begin?

This issue does not concern only Serbia and the public enterprise “Srbijagas”, but also our partners in this project. I think that the enterprise “South Stream Serbia” will begin and finish its part of the project on time. Our wish is that the construction begins as soon as possible, because it is good for Serbia from the standpoint of energy supply and economic development.

The privatization of public enterprises became an economic priority. Is it in our interest that EPS remains state-owned?

The interest of the Serbian state and its citizens is that “Elektroprivreda Srbije”, the largest producer and supplier of electric energy, should remain property of the Republic of Serbia. The Government has no plans to privatize EPS, but we will try to find strategic partners by means of some specific projects. EPS must act and work in a different way and for that reason it must be reformed. Only in that way, it can be a competitive company that will be able to face the liberalization of the energy market.

We have granted about 300 permits for mini hydro power stations. Which companies are ready to carry out that work?

The investors that will build mini hydro power stations in 212 locations in Serbia were elected through an international tender and the final list of investors was published on July the first on the website of the Ministry. Mini hydro power stations will be built in 17 mainly underdeveloped communes of Serbia. Thanks to the investments, these communes will benefit from a certain number of work places; small and middle local companies will participate in the activities and the local budgets will have additional revenues as compensations for the use of water.

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