To the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Services, the positive decision on the feasibility study represents the recognition of its activities in proposing new laws, primarily the Law on prices, the Law on trade, the Law on the protection of competition, and the Law on consumer protection as well as in the ratification of agreements on free trade and other forms of regional cooperation – including the Danube Commission, and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation pact (BSEC), among others.
The liberalisation of prices and trade, the protection of competition, and consumer protection in Serbia are of key importance not only for establishing a modern business environment, but also represent a pre-requisite for meeting obligations under a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, our next step towards membership in the European Union.
The European Commission’s feasibility study, in separate chapters, acknowledges that Serbia has achieved certain positive results in the economy and that it has administrative capacities for further reforms. However, not all the potentials for economic cooperation between our country and the European Union have been exploited. These include the Autonomous Trade Measures, which would facilitate economic development and help to resolve the problems of the balance of payments deficit and unemployment.
In the forthcoming period, the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Services will focus on the implementation of new laws, the passing of necessary bylaws, the creation of conditions for the work of the commission on the protection of competition as well as a network of consumer organisations across Serbia, with financial and expert support of the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR).
The implementation of a project to improve inspection controls in the field of trade and tourism is also in the cards this year. At the same time, the fight against piracy and grey economy remains a top priority for the market inspectorate and it will facilitate the government’s efforts to expand the tax base.
The task of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Services in 2005, based on the content of the feasibility study, will be to encourage economic efficiency, improve the competitiveness of the Serbian economy, prevent monopolistic behaviour, ensure the economic well-being of society as a whole, and to encourage competition in the market of goods and services, in line with modern principles of the market economy.
The liberalisation of prices and trade, the protection of competition, and consumer protection in Serbia are of key importance not only for establishing a modern business environment, but also represent a pre-requisite for meeting obligations under a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, our next step towards membership in the European Union.
The European Commission’s feasibility study, in separate chapters, acknowledges that Serbia has achieved certain positive results in the economy and that it has administrative capacities for further reforms. However, not all the potentials for economic cooperation between our country and the European Union have been exploited. These include the Autonomous Trade Measures, which would facilitate economic development and help to resolve the problems of the balance of payments deficit and unemployment.
In the forthcoming period, the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Services will focus on the implementation of new laws, the passing of necessary bylaws, the creation of conditions for the work of the commission on the protection of competition as well as a network of consumer organisations across Serbia, with financial and expert support of the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR).
The implementation of a project to improve inspection controls in the field of trade and tourism is also in the cards this year. At the same time, the fight against piracy and grey economy remains a top priority for the market inspectorate and it will facilitate the government’s efforts to expand the tax base.
The task of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Services in 2005, based on the content of the feasibility study, will be to encourage economic efficiency, improve the competitiveness of the Serbian economy, prevent monopolistic behaviour, ensure the economic well-being of society as a whole, and to encourage competition in the market of goods and services, in line with modern principles of the market economy.