Creating and Developing Competition in the Banking Sector of the Republic of Serbia

ABSTRACT: The significance of the banking sector in the Republic of Serbia has grown over the last 20 years, as a result of a huge increase of market importance and, consequently, deregulation in this and other sectors. Deregulation and liberalization processes are followed by the processes of integration (mergers and acquisitions) of banks. The banking sector in the Republic of Serbia is characterized by a relatively large number of banks. Competition in general, and especially in the banking sector, is complicated and difficult to measure, for which there are no generally accepted and best indicators. Using the Concentration Ratio index (CR) and Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI), the author tries to determine the degree of concentration, for the purpose of evaluation the competition in the banking sector of the Republic of Serbia. The degree of concentration was checked on the basis of the financial statements of banks in the Republic of Serbia in the period 2008-2017. The results of the research will point to the current state and the best perspectives for creating and developing competitive conditions in the banking sector of the Republic of Serbia. KEYWORDS: Banking sector, Republic of Serbia, concentration, competition, CR index, HHI inde