NEARLY BAM 5.5 MILLION ALLOCATED TO SUPPORT SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES

BANJA LUKA, JULY 4 /SRNA/ – The Republika Srpska Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship conducted two public calls this year to support small and medium-sized enterprises, under which funds have been earmarked for 505 business entities in the total amount of BAM 5,499,623, the Ministry told SRNA.

The 2026 Republika Srpska budget initially allocated BAM 2.5 million for this purpose. However, due to exceptionally strong interest from business entitites in investing in new equipment and digitalization processes, additional funds were secured through a budget revision and reallocations, increasing the available amount to BAM 5,035,528. The Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship stated that the list of applicants approved for incentive reservations aimed at improving competitiveness includes 477 business entities, for which a total of BAM 5,035,528 has been allocated. A further 28 business entities are on the list of applicants approved for incentive reservations for the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, with BAM 464,095 allocated for that purpose. Business entites that have secured the right to reserve incentives are required to fully complete their approved investments by October 31. "The full implementation of the approved investments means that the procured equipment or services must be paid for, delivered and installed, or otherwise completed, depending on the purpose of the investment," the Ministry explained. The Ministry emphasized that, upon completion of their investments, business entities must submit an application for the payment of the incentive along with the required supporting documentation. Proof of completed investments includes purchase invoices accompanied by bank statements confirming payment, fiscal receipts, photographs of the investment, and customs import declarations if the procurement was made abroad. Business entities whose investments have already been completed or were already underway are required to submit an application for payment together with any supporting documents that were not previously submitted with their application under the public call.