Serbia: Global Crisis Begins to Pinch

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000095 UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS USDOC FOR 4232/ITA/MAC/EUR/OEERIS/SSAVICH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EINV ETRD EFIN SR SUBJECT: Serbia: Global Crisis Begins to Pinch Summary -------------- ¶1. End of year 2008 statistics show a slowdown in economic activity across Serbia. Faced with these downward trends, the Finance Ministry will likely revise 2009 GDP growth estimates down from 3.5% to 2%. The dinar is steadily declining, registering a 34% loss against dollar since October 2008. January 2009 government revenues were down 10%. The government held several meetings with key market players and promised to provide $1.7 billion in subsidized loans to businesses and consumers to bolster demand. Several deals and tenders have been canceled or postponed due to the crisis. The sharp slowdown in revenues and the rapid slowdown in the economy have finally spurred the government to confront the crisis, rather than just hoping it will not hit Serbia. End Summary. Industrial Production Sinks -------------- ¶2. Despite optimistic assessments from some ministers last fall, including Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic, that the global economic crisis would not significantly affect Serbia, third and fourth quarter 2008 statistics suggest otherwise. In August 2008, industrial production reversed its growth trend and fell monthly by 0.9% in real terms due to a drop in basic metal (U.S. Steel),rubber and plastics (Tigar-Michelin),and textile production. Industrial production dropped a further 3.4% year-on-year in October and 2.6% y/y in November. Projections indicate that annual industrial production for 2008 will record a modest increase of about 1.5% over 2007, thanks to strong growth in the first half of the year. 2008 GDP Growth Slows Sharply, Lower 2009 Projections -------------- -------------- ¶3. Year-on-year GDP growth for 2008 dropped from 8.5% in the first quarter, to 6.3% in the second quarter, and then to 4.9% in the third. The National Bank of Serbia (NBS) estimates fourth quarter growth will be only 2% and 2008 annual GDP growth will be 5.4%. This is down from the mid-year 2008 projection of 7%. In response, Finance Ministry State Secretary Vuk Djokovic told uson January 12 that the ministry plans to lower its 2009 GDP growth estimate from 3.5% to around 2%. Mid-January 2009 government revenues were down 10% compared to mid-January 2008. Finance Minister Dragutinovic said this was due to lower VAT collection and suggested tax evasion as a culprit, beyond the economic slowdown. Export & Import Trends Reverse -------------- ¶4. Production in export-oriented industries fell due to decreased orders from abroad, driving both imports and exports lower, a trend not seen since the Milosevic era. Since July 2008 when monthly exports totaled $1.16 billion, exports have fallen sharply to just $686 million for November, a 41% drop. The bulk of the collapse was due to a 26% fall in iron and steel exports and 19% fall in non-ferrous metals exports. Note: The majority of this decline is due to sharp cuts in orders at U.S. Steel's operations in Serbia. End Note. July 2008 imports totaled $2.2 billion, but then dropped 36% to $1.4 billion in November. The crisis was softened by agricultural exports, particularly to CEFTA countries. The trade deficit shrank from $1.1 billion in July 2008 to $720 million in November, due to decreased imports. Dinar Depreciates 34% against Dollar -------------- ¶5. Since October 1, 2008 the dinar has fallen 34% against the dollar, from 54to 73 dinars to the dollar. NBS has been selling reserves regularly to slow the pace of the dinar's decline, but the Bank has not been able to reverse the downward trend for more than a few days at a time. NBS continues to draw criticism from businesses suffering exchange rate losses who think NBS needs to more aggressively prevent sharp currency fluctuations. In a January 30 meeting with us Goran Pitic, the head of Societe Generale Bank in Serbia, told us that NBS needed to be more transparent and more sophisticated in making foreign exchange market interventions. Loan Repayment Still Alright, Leasing and Retail Suffer -------------- -------------- ¶6. The weaker dinar did not, however, affect loan repayment even though 80% of all loans are euro-indexed. The share of consumer non-performing loans (NPL) increased from 1.2% in December 2007 to 1.4% in December 2008 while business NPL rose from 5.1% to 6.3%. Pitic told us that Societe Generale's default rates had stabilized in January after the slight rise at the end of 2008. According to a recent study by Italian UniCredit Banking Group, 17% of households in Serbia are heavily indebted, spending more than 30% of household BELGRADE 00000095 002 OF 002 income on repaying debt. This is moderate compared to Romania (31%) and Croatia (27%). However, payment default on vehicle and equipment leases increased with NPL up 16.4% in December 2008 y/y. Retail turnover also suffered due to the global financial crisis, declining 7% in real terms in November 2008 compared to October ¶2008. Salaries, in the meantime, recorded real growth with December 2008 average take home pay 12% higher in y/y nominal terms and 3.85% in real terms. Postponed Investment, Failed Tenders and Lost Deals -------------- -------------- ¶7. Several industries reported delayed and cancelled deals due to global crisis. Car maker Fiat announced it would postpone investing $260 million in Zastava for ten months. Copper mining and smelting company RTB Bor failed to attract a bidder in the third attempt privatize the firm. The tender for the sale of tourist complex Stara Planina failed as potential bidders requested reduced investment obligations. Bus producer Ikarbus reported it lost a $36 million deal in United Arab Emirates due to the crisis. The Government Response Finally Begins -------------- ¶8. In January 2009, the parliament finally adopted a set of crisis measures which included raising state guaranteed deposit insurance from EUR 3,000 to EUR 50,000 and eliminating taxes on interest earnings and securities gains three months after the government proposed it, drawing widespread criticism. The government hopes to shrink state consumption, maintain the standard of living, and provide business incentives such as soft loans with particular focus on export-oriented industries and foreign investors. President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Cvetkovic, Economy Minister Dinkic, and NBS Governor Jelasic have met with the businesses, union leaders, and bankers over the past few months to discuss further strategies to weather the economic storm. $1.7 Billion in Loans to Businesses and Consumers -------------- -------------- ¶9. On January 29, The Serbian government approved a series of stimulus measures that would support low interest loans to businesses and consumers totaling $1.7 billion to stimulate the economy. Loans would come partially from the budget, but also from banks with support from state guarantees and from international organizations. Economy Minister Dinkic said at a press conference following the government's approval that only $42 million would come from money allocated in the 2009 budget and an additional $69 million would come from the Development Fund. Banks would provide the rest. The program includes: working capital loans (12 month term) totaling $555 million with a government would subsidized interest rate; investment loans (3-5 year terms) of $236 million, with 30% of the capital provided by the government and 75% of the risk guaranteed by the government; consumer loans with subsidized interest rates totaling $278 million for purchase of durable consumer goods produced in Serbia; and $625 million in loans from international institutions such as the European Investment Bank, KfW, EBRD and the Italian government that would target small and medium size enterprise lending. Interest rates would be between 5.5% and 6.5%, half the current commercial rates. As a condition, borrowers would be prohibited from laying off workers. Loans would be disbursed through commercial banks selected by NBS and through the government's Development Fund. Economy Minister Dinkic said loans to consumers would be only for the purchase of domestically produced durable goods. said the government plans to have the loans programs in place by late February. COMMENT -------------- ¶11. The sharp slowdown in the Serbian economy and especially tax revenues in the last three months of 2008 and the first month of 2009 has brought the economic crisis to Serbia. Serbia must not only be flexible and prudent in identifying policies that will help it weather the crisis, but it must be quick and decisive in implementing those policies. As of now, the prognosis for a recovery in production and exports in 2009 is grim. The government has, at least, begun to react to the crisis and try to prime the pump. Continued pressure on the exchange rate as a result of Serbia's continuing trade deficit and the government's limited ability to stimulate demand within the constraints of an IMF stand-by arrangement will leave the economy vulnerable. The government is moving toward a more coordinated economic policy and the next few months will be critical. End Comment MUNTER