BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Nebojša Marić, Marić & Co
in the first nine months of 2024 were financial services, excluding insurance and pension funds (BAM388,700,000), followed by retail trade, excluding motor vehicles and motorcy - cles (BAM218,900,000), electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply (BAM139,500,000), and wholesale trade, excluding motor vehicles and motorcycles (BAM132,600,000). From 2007 to 2023, foreign investors withdrew BAM17,000,000,000 from Bosnia and Herzego - vina through profit repatriation. In the following sections we will outline recent notable developments in various sectors of Bos - nia and Herzegovina’s economy. Automotive Industry The confidence of foreign investors in invest - ing in Bosnia and Herzegovina is slowly return - ing. One of the key indicators is the newly built manufacturing plants and business facilities. In the municipality of Laktaši, the company Mahle Electric Drives Bosnia has opened a modern production facility, positioning Bosnia and Her - zegovina as a relevant manufacturer of compo - nents for the automotive sector with its invest - ment. The company GS-RAMA has opened a new pro - duction facility in Prozor-Rama. In Blažuj, the most advanced and largest facility of the Por - sche Holding Group in Europe and the world has been opened, covering more than five thousand square metres. Porsche BH from Sarajevo led the market with the highest revenue of BAM286,204,345 and a total profit of BAM12,088,726, followed by Autolijanović and Auto Centar Tomić from Mostar, and STARline from Sarajevo.
Automobile manufacturers are increasingly shift - ing towards hybrid and electric vehicles, with a growing number of such vehicles on European roads. This trend is also becoming noticeable in Bosnia and Herzegovina, though the numbers still remain relatively low. As the demand for sus - tainable transportation continues to rise, there are significant investment opportunities in the country, particularly in the production of elec - tric vehicle components, the establishment of charging infrastructure, and the development of services for the maintenance and repair of elec - tric vehicles. Food and Beverage In October 2024, the US-based fast-food chain Taco Bell opened its first restaurant in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, Ilidža, marking a significant milestone in Taco Bell’s international expansion and its first appearance in the Bal - kans. Elsewhere in Southeast Europe, Taco Bell is only present in Romania. In December 2024, Taco Bell opened another restaurant in the capi - tal area, within the Sarajevo City Center shop - ping mall. The arrival of Taco Bell in Sarajevo is a key step in its international growth trajectory. KFC opened its first location in Sarajevo in 2022 and a restaurant, followed by other branches in cities such as Banja Luka and Mostar. This marked the company’s initial expansion into the Bosnian market, joining its broader strategy in the Balkans. Burger King made its debut in Bosnia and Her - zegovina in 2023 with a restaurant opening in Sarajevo, located in the Sarajevo City Center shopping mall. These openings highlight the increasing inter - est of major global food and beverage chains in Bosnia and Herzegovina, driven by rising con -
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