DR. VELIZAR JANKOVIC’S PROJECT - ESTABLISHMENT OF A STATE-OWNED AGRARIAN BANK

Summary: The investigation into the state of affairs in the area of agricultural crediting in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, immediately following World War One, led the Minister of Agriculture and Waterways, Dr. Velizar Jankovic, to conclude that the well developed system of banking and cooperative institutes providing farmers with rather cheap credit facilities was operating only in those areas where the Austro-Hungarian jurisdiction was still in force; while at the same time in the areas under the Serbian legislative jurisdiction, gravely devastated both during the Balkan Wars and World War One, farming population was left to cope alone for its own self. Aware of the fact that the mitigation of such regional disparities necessitated state intervention, he proposed the establishment “of such a state-owned agrarian bank that would dispose of sufficiently large capital and shall provide lending facilities to farmers in an expedient manner and with cheap interest.” The project envisaging a state institution for crediting agriculture, initiated by Dr. Velizar Jankovic in 1920 was, however, premature. In the areas under the jurisdiction of Serbian laws what still prevailed were the 19th century limitations on credit capabilities for servicing credit liabilities of farmers. It was only in 1929 that these limitations are to be abolished, and the project initiated by Dr. Jankovic to be brought into life through the establishment of the Privileged Agrarian Bank.