Coca-Cola HBC Serbia is proud to be a member of NALED, an organization that promotes dialogue between the private and public sectors in Serbia and monitors regulatory activity. NALED has made major contributions to reforms in Serbia by reducing administrative burdens on businesses, as shown by improvements to Serbia's ranking on the World Bank's Doing Business report. However, more work remains to be done, especially in combating the grey economy through measures in NALED's National Programme. NALED has given small businesses a voice in policymaking and participated in many successful advocacy campaigns over the past 10 years.

1. Coca-Cola HBC Serbia is a proud
member of NALED, which is the
undisputed leader in promoting
dialogue between the private and
public sectors today, and is one of the
leading authorities in monitoring regulatory activity and
measuring the performance of the public administration.
This organisation has never been one that merely points
out the deficiencies of the system, but one that also
proposes and encourages constructive solutions. As a
member of NALED’s Managing Board, I am particularly
proud of this fact and I’d like it to remain that way as we
move forward.
I believe that everything we have done so far has
made a major contribution to reforms in Serbia and to
reducing the administrative burden on the economy.
This is proven by Serbia’s ranking on the World Bank’s
Doing Business list, which is now the best in the last
nine years. Through the Grey Book alone, from the first
edition to this day, 76 administrative procedures have
been improved, that’s an average of a dozen per year.
But there is still a lot of work to be done, primarily in the
field of finance. The National Programme for Combat-
ting the Grey Economy is a priority for us as a member,
because it covers a series of measures such as more
efficient sanctions against all forms of the grey econo-
my, incentives for business start-ups and relaxing the
administrative burden, but it also contains measures to
raise public awareness of the importance of inclusion in
the fight against the grey zone. I think the further educa-
tion of the Serbian public and their active involvement
is needed to create a competitive and positive working
environment, and to add value for all stakeholders in
this country’s economy and society.
NALED has turned the Serbian
business community into a grass-
roots organisation, an active partner
to both local and central govern-
ments. The visionary in charge of
our team of hundreds of hardwork-
ing experts, business people and
administrators is American Steven Rosenberg, whom we
have adopted here.
I recall a bakery owner providing some of the most
valuable policy recommendations that NALED lat-
er incorporated into what has now become known
colloquially as the Grey Book. Small business owners,
this baker included, have been given a voice through
NALED and have participated in many campaigns since,
recognising that an expert organisation would be able
to translate the challenges they face in their work into
policy measures, granting them a spot at the govern-
ment table.
NALED advocacy has ranged from the provision of
expert panels to witty, satirical marketing. And it is work-
ing. The guillotine has come down on such things as the
infamous company name display fee and other significant
red tape has been done away with, while public services
(especially permits issued in construction) have become
more transparent and efficient. Notably, big business is
now advocating an improved business climate, as are
municipalities across Serbia, both big and small.
Mayors have also embraced reform. Space that was
once taken up with their portraits now contains vital
information on available infrastructure and workforces, to
attract investors. As we continue our battle with the ad-
ministrative obstacles facing businesses, our proverbial
sleeves remain rolled. The goals: thin out the Grey Book,
climb the international business ranking polls, win over
investment opportunities and increase employment.
SUPPRESSING
THE GREY ECONOMY
- OUR PRIORITY
LEADING THE WAY,
10 YEARS LATER
IN FOCUS
20 10YEARS OF NALED NALED LEADERS
Dr. Ana S. Trbović
President of NALED
Advisory Board Aleksandar Ružević
Member of NALED Managing Board and
CEO of Coca-Cola HBC Serbia