Ikea finally in Belgrade? - Agreement with Government of Serbia on allotment of land in location of Soko Salaš may be reached soon

- After nine years of negotiations, Swedish Ikea will soon reach the agreement on construction of a facility in the location of Soko Salaš, in the vicinity of Belgrade-Zagreb highway - it was confirmed to the Broadcasting Corporation of Serbia (RTS) by the people from the Government of Serbia. The Regulation on Land Conversion will make that location a property of the state, so that it will be able to offer that land at the price that is lower than the market price.

That land is currently used by the Cattle Breeding Institute, but it will soon become a property of the state.

Thanks to aforementioned regulation, of which adoption is expected by the end of the month, it will be made possible for other public companies that have not been privatized yet and own the land of strategic interest to Serbia to become property of the state. That land would then be offered to lage investors such as Ikea at the prices that are lower than market prices, and foreign capital would be attracted in that way.

All big market chains were mainly coming to Serbia through mediators, that is, the companies that would finish all the paper works on their behalf. Such mediation increases the costs, so that the loss is usually compensated through higher prices of products.

However, global leader in furniture production and trade Ikea is trying to avoid mediators all the time.