USAID’s Business Enabling Project (BEP) today released the results of its fifth annual Serbian Business Survey. The survey, which reflects 1,000 Serbian businesses’ opinions on the state of Serbia’s business environment, showed that recent reforms are making it easier for them to operate.

“The survey shows that Serbian businesses see improvements in many areas where the government has made reforms to the regulatory framework,” said United States Ambassador Michael D. Kirby. “Reforms in areas such as construction permitting and business inspections are contributing to a perception among 55 percent of businesses that the burden of laws and regulations has decreased in the past 12 months. That’s up from 18 percent just a few years ago.”

The survey also showed improvements in the area of corruption. In 2015, approximately12 percent of businesses reported that corruption had a large negative effect on their business. In 2011, more than 41 percent of businesses cited this as a major impediment.

Businesses still see plenty of room for improvement. A majority of businesses said they continued to face challenges with issues such as para-fiscal charges, administrative procedures, and limited access to finance.

“This survey helps us to understand which policies, laws, procedures, and institutions are helping or hindering the ability of Serbian businesses to compete in an increasingly global marketplace,” said Ambassador Kirby. “The U.S. Government will continue to work with the Government of Serbia, the business community, and other partners to implement the urgent, essential reforms that will enable robust economic growth and integration into European markets and the global economy.”

The BEP Business Survey was carried out in collaboration with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Ipsos Strategic Marketing. The survey’s full results are available at http://bep.rs.