Bozidar Djelic guest of Prime Time News on National TV

Mr. Bozidar Djelic, Serbian Finance Minister, was a guest of the Prime Time News on National TV yesterday. Answering the journalist’s questions, related, inter alia, to the budgetary follow up, the Minister declared:

– I am checking the situation every hour. This is that new system, and because of that – because of the necessity for our pensioners to be paid regularly, the salaries to be paid on time, the possibility to buy adequate medicine and provide for anything else essential for our country to function – I repeatedly appeal on all the businessmen to regularly pay their fiscal duties.

What you saw on the 5th and the 20th was only related to the excise and sales taxes. On the occasion of every salaries pay-off, all other tax obligations and contributions to the pension and health insurance funds and the employment market, must be paid simultaneously. It is also very important to transfer, on the same day, a tax declaration to the local fiscal administration branch office – the declaration that was previously brought to the ZOP offices. During the last two days, on January 6 and 8, the whole amount of the payment operations system transactions was 10 and 8 billion dinars respectively.

– The gross revenue of all public authority levels was approximately 600 and 700 million dinars, which corresponds to our estimations, but yet under our real expectations. The entire Tax administration, as well as myself, is in a posture of maximal attention, and a great effort will additionally be invested in the following few days. I once again appeal on our businessmen not to tempt the system strictness we prepared. Simply, the State must function correctly, and that those depending on the Budget have to be assured in their future activities. We started very well, we can do even better, and I expect the fiscal discipline to strengthen in the days to come.

Mr. Djelic answered affirmatively when asked on the possibility for one company to open several bank accounts in different banks, adding that it will be possible only providing the FID.

– The State is now strongly computer organized, which means that there are much fewer holes and gaps than before. The Tax administration is much better equipped now, and the Law providing for its functioning is much more efficient. I don’t mean to play a scarecrow, but the reality is that we cannot tolerate what happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the State simply disappeared for a month or two. Our pensioners, doctors, health personnel, educational body, policemen, did not deserve that. We did not raise taxes, on the contrary – we reduced them.

– We are quite an ambitious nation, and we should strive towards something normal. We are aware that we have many difficulties in our country, that the economic situation is not easy, but at the same time, our taxes are quite moderate, especially those related to the corporate profit or individual citizens income… Every tax is high, in a poor country such as ours, but this is not anyone’s “caprice”, but the necessity in order to finance all we previously spoke of, concluded Mr. Djelic.