Mayor of Novi Sad Miloš Vičević held a meeting with about twenty small-business owners from Čenej, discussing their business operations and problems they have been facing. Čenej is a suburban settlement of Novi Sad, unique for the fact that the majority population lives in salaš (typical Vojvodinian ranch). Čenej has about 80 registered companies and there is the Čenej airport located nearby, with an earth runway, mainly used for agricultural purposes.

- Meeting with entrepreneurs from Čenej and Pejićevi salaši is one of the best meetings I have had this year and I would primarily describe it as an open and honest conversation. I was listening to people who run healthy and reality-based economy which we have to strengthen, as only such an economy is filling the budget and ensuring the better functioning of the city. I am grateful to the Čenej local community and all the participants in today’s meeting for inviting me and presenting their problems openly and objectively. A large part of solving their problems belongs to the authority of the local self-government, but the city will also provide help in the part not directly connected to its competences. I am glad that we have arranged a meeting for next week with certain business entities who can help us overcome the problems which can be solved quickly, while we are also about to solve some capital urban planning problems. It is in our interest that these people continue their business operations and that they receive real support in expanding their capacities and employing new people – said the Mayor, adding that a representative of the Čenej entrepreneurs will be included in the Novi Sad Economic Council, to ensure greater impact on all the mentioned topics.

The representative of entrepreneurs who talked with the Mayor, owner of the Čenej company “Renie” Uroš Subotin, thanked the representatives of the City of Novi Sad who came to hear the problems they as entrepreneurs have been facing every day.

- I believe that today’s meeting was worthwhile and that these discussions will bear fruit, as all the entrepreneurs working here could certainly employ much more people and provide a better living both to the workers and the Čenej local community – said Mr. Subotin.

The Čenej entrepreneurs pointed out that there are numerous companies operating in Čenej, but in order to further increase their number, the development of better infrastructure is needed. The attendees at the meeting concluded that it is important to create the environment for the development of a small family business which would encourage young people to stay in the suburban settlements of Novi Sad and that the city will always support and strive to create better conditions for a well-structured business program through available resources.

Novi Sad, February 12^th, 2014