Vučić: Today, Serbia is the only EU candidate country that has an investment rating

"It is the result of work in previous years. Extremely good news. Everyone else who expects bad news has completely kept this quiet. We are the first and only in the Western Balkans to have an investment rating. Turkey had it, but lost it. Serbia is today the only candidate for the EU that has an investment rating, we have equalized with Romania and Hungary, that is an exceptional signal for investors, and tomorrow the first effects will already be seen on the capital market," Vučić said in a guest appearance on TV Pink.

"We are becoming a more attractive country for investors," he underlined.

"It is proof that public finances are safe and stable, it will be incomparably more favorable for our companies, and it is a signal to the whole world what kind of situation Serbia is in".

He reminded that Serbia's credit rating was reduced in 2012 and pointed out that a lot more work will have to be done to improve the credit rating. According to the president, salaries in Serbia today are the highest in the region, he also said that our country has overtaken many countries in the region in terms of income.

"I will read the part to you, a specialist doctor had a salary of 67 thousand, and in January 2025 it will be over 120 thousand... A professional soldier with 33 thousand, and today an ordinary soldier with 82 thousand dinars... Just look at what we have done in the last ten years. It has been shown that the policy of hard work always pays off," said Vučić.

"The teacher's salary was 44,000, and now it is 97,000," he said, adding that it will now be over 103,000.

"In Serbia, the standard of living has increased objectively by 40, 50 to 60 percent from 2012 until now, cumulative inflation was 82 percent, and the difference in wages was about 120 percent," he said.
 

"Turning point"

For the first time in history, Serbia received an investment credit rating. The credit rating agency "S&P" Global Ratings increased the credit rating of the Republic of Serbia to investment grade, at the level of "BBB-" with stable prospects for its further improvement.

Agency "S&P" Global Ratings raised the long-term credit rating of the Republic of Serbia in foreign and domestic currency to the level of "BBB-", from "BB+".

At the same time, it raised the short-term credit rating in foreign and domestic currency to "A-3", from "B".

"Raising the rating represents a turning point for Serbia and our companies. It opens the door to: lower financing costs, greater access to international capital markets and increased investor confidence," Vučić recently wrote on the occasion.