Almost half of Lopare population, more than 6,000, live and work abroad.<\/p>\n
The first of them had set off abroad half a century ago, but they have not forgotten their homeland and now invest the money earned in Western Europe in its development.<\/p>\n
Many residents have found employment in their hometown owing to newly founded companies, and opening of new production plants has been announced.<\/p>\n
Intensive cooperation with the diaspora in the past 12 years has resulted in the launch of 20 companies engaged in various activities \u2013 from metal processing, catering to agriculture \u2013 and 150 employments.<\/p>\n
Owing to the diaspora, mechanical technician Goran Maksimovi\u0107 also has a job in his field.<\/p>\n
\u2013 I had worked for 25 years in commerce and finally the time came for a job in my field. We had started working officially on 3 May, we received and fulfilled the first orders and we are continuing, we hope to employ more staff in the future \u2013 says Maksimovi\u0107.<\/p>\n
There will be more staff in this, but also in new companies, because people from the diaspora are happy to invest in their homeland.<\/p>\n
\u2013 It is time for diaspora investments. The Republic of Srpska offers security, fast company opening, some subsidies, etc., so all this is an additional motivation for investment from abroad \u2013 says Stojan Stevanovi\u0107, president of the Association of Serbian Businessmen from Switzerland.<\/p>\n
The Municipality of Lopare, together with the Mozaik Foundation, encouraged three companies owned by the diaspora with BAM 180,000, and a new project will place additional funds at their disposal, and enable them to apply for other public calls.<\/p>\n
\u2013 We are planning a new fund for diaspora support, where we will use our own resources and those from the Fund, about 140,000, to support more companies opened in the territory of our municipality \u2013 said \u017deljko Kerovi\u0107, head of the Department for Economy and Social Affairs of the Municipality of Lopare.<\/p>\n
The head of the municipality, Rado Savi\u0107, says that there is significant interest from the diaspora in investing in this municipality, especially from Switzerland.<\/p>\n
\u2013 These are our people who have acquired capital and knowledge and who can apply it here. We wish them to employ their relatives, neighbors, to help our people stay here \u2013 says Savi\u0107.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Diaspora Days, held from 23 to 30 July under the slogan Homeland in the Heart, presented the monograph Majevicans in Switzerland, which describes the decennial cooperation between Lopare residents and their compatriots abroad.<\/p>\n
\u2013 This small place is actually a big crossroads of worlds. Today, in my opinion, Lopare is the capital of the Serbian diaspora, the capital of all Serbs in the world \u2013 says Marko Lopu\u0161ina, author of the monograph.<\/p>\n
Having spent their working lives abroad, about 300 married couples have returned to Lopare, where they can live comfortably on the pension earned abroad. By investing, they try to create the best possible conditions for their return and life, because, according to them, the homeland is a sacred place that is never forgotten.<\/p>\n
Source: RTRS<\/p>\n
Photo: nacelnik.net<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Almost half of Lopare population, more than 6,000, live and work abroad. The first of them had set off abroad half a century ago, but they have not forgotten their homeland and now invest the money earned in Western Europe in its development. Many residents have found employment in their hometown owing to newly founded companies, and opening of new production plants has been announced. Intensive cooperation with<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5783,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vijesti","category-vijesti-republika-srpska"],"yoast_head":"\n