Serbia to introduce 90-day moratorium on loan payments - Finance Minister

Serbia' central bank plans to impose a 90-days moratorium on loan payments to help people and companies weather the coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the economy, Finance Minister Sinisa Mali told Prva TV on Tuesday. The central bank has already lowered its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 1.75%, to help minimise economic disruption caused by the outbreak.

It also introduced a 10% wage increase for all health workers and a one-off payment to help pensioners, most of whom have been asked to stay indoors. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic has warned that Serbia, which on Sunday declared a state of emergency, closed borders, schools and universities and recommended people to work from home, would face difficulties to achieve its planned growth this year.