Japan’s biggest investor in Serbia, Japan Tobacco International, has launched a new production line at its facility in Senta, and announced a new five-year investment cycle in Serbia worth 51 million dollars

SENTA, SERBIA - Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Vice President of JTI Takahiro Kumamoto put into operation a new production line worth 16 million dollars. The new production line will double the company's capacity, which will significantly increase the export potential of the factory in Senta.

Vice President of JTI Takahiro Kumamoto announced new investments of that company in Serbia.

"Today we presented a new investment cycle, which will significantly improve our business in Serbia. Over the next five years, we plan investments worth $51 million to improve production and expand the company's capacity. Our goal is to create new jobs, double our capacities to increase exports, as well as to modernize the production process itself," said the Vice President of the company.

Part of the investment cycle of JTI in Serbia will be dedicated to the construction of the Development Center, where unique modular and flexible machines for making and packing cigarettes will be developed.

In addition, by the end of the year, and in January 2023 at the latest, the construction of a modern cigarette 1,200 square meters warehouse, as well as a modern tobacco warehouse of 1,000 square meters, will be completed.

When a Japanese investor comes to a country to invest in it, other investors from around the world also feel comfortable about investing in that country, Brnabic said. She said that Japanese investments in Serbia in the past 12 years reached almost 300 million dollars.

The ceremony was also attended by Japanese Ambassador to Serbia Takahiko Katsumata, the head of the Vojvodina provincial government Igor Mirovic, the head of the provincial assembly Istvan Pastor, the president of the Municipality of Senta Rudolf Cegledi, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Jelena Tanaskovic and Serbian Minister of Trade Tomislav Momirovic.

PHOTO TANJUG / SLOBODAN MILJEVIC

Since the purchase of the tobacco producer Duvanska industrija Senta in 2006, JTI has invested more than USD 200 million in Serbia. Production was launched, as well as export to the markets of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Croatia and Albania and the export of cigarettes to the EU market.

As the only foreign company that is purchasing locally-grown tobacco, JTI is the biggest tobacco producer in Serbia, which hires about 3,000 employees. JT International A.D. Senta was awarded the Top Employers Serbia, Top Employers Europe and Top Employers Global certification.