Delić: KS pays participation for 80 companies from seven industries at EXPO

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Minister of Economy of KS Adnan Delić spoke today about the participation of BiH companies at the EXPO fair. 

As he said, the methodology for preparing the public call according to the criteria of EXPO 2020 Dubai, adapted to our conditions and available resources, was developed by a team of experts led by president Admir Čavalić.

The principle of selecting companies will be based on industries recognized as strategically important. In this context, seven industries have been selected, which will be represented by a total of 80 companies, and the number of companies is determined according to the rating of each industry.

Thus, from the field of agriculture and food industry, 18 companies will go; forestry and wood industry (furniture production) - five companies; metal processing industry - metal production and finished metal product manufacturing, a total of 11 companies; automotive industry - two companies; ICT sector - eight companies; tourism sector - 15 companies; pharmaceutical industry – two companies, while other areas will be represented by a total of 14 companies. Five companies will have the opportunity from the project areas (construction, production, tourist locations, etc.).

The expert team has developed five focus areas for selection or meta-criteria, with associated criteria and indicators for measurement. The focus areas are on the economic position of the company; growth potential; export potential; innovation; and sustainability. Details on the application method and scoring will be available within the public call, which will be published on the website that is being prepared and will be the official website of BiH for EXPO 2020 Dubai.

The Minister specifically emphasized that companies from the Canton of Sarajevo will have an advantage over companies from other parts of the country from the start.

"Companies from the Canton of Sarajevo will have an advantage of ten points over other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we think that is fair because the Canton of Sarajevo is the one allocating funds, and the strategic branches of the economy are mostly in the Canton of Sarajevo," the minister stated.

Minister Delić emphasized, to avoid confusion, that all businessmen have the right to attend EXPO and that all resources at the pavilion are available to them, with the caveat that, unlike these 80 companies whose costs are paid, they bear their own costs.

The BiH Organizing Committee for EXPO 2020 Dubai has also been appointed and will have its first session soon, and currently all activities are focused on preparing the national day of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is planned for Saturday, December 18, 2021. This day represents the central event of promotion for each country and includes an official ceremony and a cultural-artistic program, and an integral part of the National Day is a bilateral meeting of the delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with representatives of the United Arab Emirates, as well as an official dinner with the hosts, and a press conference.

"In order to create additional opportunities for the presentation of key industries and companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina at Expo 2020 Dubai, we plan to organize a Country Business Briefing. This event allows high-ranking state officials and experts from key industries of Bosnia and Herzegovina to present the business opportunities of our country and connect with global investors and decision-makers," stated Minister Delić.

The Country Business Briefing will be held the day after our country's National Day, on December 19, 2021, at 2:30 PM in the Business Connect Centre, at Expo 2020 Dubai.

"We are extremely proud that we are currently in the process of creating a large number of business opportunities for our businessmen, which includes organizing meetings, presentations, and participation in forums with company representatives and investors from Malaysia, Austria, Switzerland, and many other countries," stated Minister Delić.

The Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently being decorated, and when it is finished, it will be a reflection of the identity of our homeland, emphasizing its natural beauty, tradition, and multicultural heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a reflection of the characteristics that adorn not only the country but also the people who live in it.