Ristic: ICT sector surplus to exceed 4 bln euros in 2024

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Information and Telecommunications Dejan Ristic said on Monday Serbia's ICT sector would register a surplus exceeding 4 bln euros at the end of this year.

"To date, this was absolutely a record-breaking year for us when it comes to that economic aspect of our ministry, the telecommunications sector," Ristic said at the opening of the World in 2025 conference, hosted by Color Media Group at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.

He noted that Serbia had been addressing the development of the ICT sector systematically and seriously over the past decade and that it had become southeast Europe's leader - as well as one of the most successful countries in Europe - in the industry.

"Relative to the record-high 2023 surplus of 3.44 bln euros, we are registering constant 19 pct growth this year, which means that we will have a surplus exceeding 4 bln euros in the ICT sector," Ristic said.

He noted that his ministry continued to develop several capital projects, including laying down a total of 4,500 km of optical cables in rural regions to build a nationwide network that would start providing top-quality internet services by the end of 2026.

"At this time, we have 98 per cent-plus coverage of our national territory with various types of internet connections, but our objective is to make a full switch to optical internet," Ristic said.