Growing business makes its international presence felt

Dragan Brkovic General Manager of Vektra

In a region whose history has been scarred by political divisions and frequent conflict, Dragan Brkovic believes the transformation of the economy provides the key to a peaceful future.
As general manager of Vektra, one of Montenegro’s best performing businesses, Mr. Brkovic is keen to play a part in paving the way to a brighter future for the small Adriatic republic. “Only by solving economic problems can we solve political problems, and not the other way round,” he insists.
Founded in 1990, Vektra was one of the very first private sector companies to be set up in Montenegro, basing its success on adopting Western business strategies and anticipating the move to the free market. The business now employs 500 people and boasts a turnover of around $40 million.
Vektra is a leading partner in Montenegro’s aluminum processing plant, KAP, and played a key role in helping the industry, which accounts for a quarter of the republic’s industrial output and three-quarters of export earnings, through the difficult period of the 1990s.

VEKTRA is a leading partner in Montenegro’s aluminum processing plant, KAP, and also has interests that include construction, haulage and trade transport.

The company’s business interests also include construction, haulage of goods to and from the aluminum plant to the deep-water port at Bar, as well as maritime passenger and trade transport.
Vektra has a successful record of cooperation with international companies and Mr. Brkovic believes this is the best way to promote the transformation of the economy.
“We are working as a company that is based on the same capitalist principles as businesses in Western Europe and the United States, so there will be no difficulty in establishing good working relations.

“We can provide the logistics and local knowledge while foreign companies can, in turn, bring their experts and investments into the equation in order to help us realize our goal of promoting the market economy.”
Mr. Brkovic has thrown his weight behind the government’s privatization program and is keen to see rapid progress on law reforms, so that any obstacles to the successful development of private enterprise can be removed.
He believes that only then will the potential of this small republic be realized. “Montenegro has great resources. There are a plenty of possibilities for investment in different sectors of the economy–in tourism, agriculture and industry. Now is the time for some concrete changes to resolve our economic problems.”