Škegro: Serious reforms are more important than statistical indicators

Since its establishment in the spring of 2011, the funds for economic cooperation (FGS) have made nine concrete investments worth 20 million euros. The management expects even greater activity from the FGS in the coming year, and the president of Quaestus, Borislav Škegro, will speak about the state of the industry and potential investment opportunities at Lider’s conference ‘Day of Big Plans’.

The head of Quaestus, who recently invested in Spačva, hopes for improvement in the coming year.

– More important than the very beginning of any statistically recorded mild recovery is the initiation of the most serious reforms. Reforms are a necessary prerequisite for longer-term sustainable development, and we are lagging behind in their implementation – Škegro stated for Lider.

At this moment, Quaestus is working on about ten potential projects. Several of them are also related to pre-bankruptcy settlement procedures. In the first phase, creditors resolve their claims in various ways, and when an agreement is reached and court approval is obtained, the question of fresh capital arises, where the FGSs help.

– Venture capital funds have that capital. That is why the FGSs were established, and that is precisely why the state participates in them, as this type of investment is an acceptable form of indirect state support for the economy. The projects we invested in earlier are developing well. Of course, they all operate in a macroeconomic environment that is quite complex and whose resolution will take years – he concludes.

The nine companies in which the FGSs have invested employ 950 people. Furthermore, the FGSs have approved investment decisions or are in the final stages of preparing for an additional six investments in sectors that include renewable energy sources, the wood industry, tourism, and the construction industry. The realization of these investments worth slightly more than 40 million euros is expected in the second half of this year, which would create an additional 50 jobs in six companies.

The Prosperus fund, managed by Joško Miliša, has invested in the companies Vodoskok and Adriatic camps. The Honestas fund, led by Michael Prpić and Hrvoje Puljiz, is preparing to invest in the wood company Conty Plus, while Quaestus has also found a good opportunity in Spačva. They see profit in wood also in Nexus, led by Marko Lesić. Alternative private equity, headed by Zoran Zemlić, is focused on finance, specifically financing the growth of Centar bank and varaždinskeVabe.

More information about the conference can be found HERE