Q:
A:
First draft law on restitution ready for adoption
Belgrade,
15 November 2006
Serbian Minister of International Economic Relations Milan Parivodic stated today that the first draft law on restitution has been completed and will be ready for adoption at the first session of the new Serbian parliament.
At a conference themed "Strategic Approaches to Local Economic Development" organised by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities and the USAID organisation, Parivodic said that now that the new Constitution has been adopted, there will be no obstacles to concluding this process.
He pointed to the fact that in the restitution process, as a significant part of the upcoming property restructuring in Serbia, historical rights of original owners should be respected, as well as the rights of those who acquired the property in question in line with previous laws.
According to Parivodic, the ensuing property restructuring in Serbia will enable municipalities to be active, become bearers of local infrastructure development and have incomes of their own. He added that the burden of the restitution will not fall on the backs of local communities.
The Minister recalled that the government passed the Law on financing the local self-governments which enables larger incomes for them, adding that other legal solutions are underway.
He also said that the restitution of construction land, fixed decentralisation, the Law on planning and construction and property restitution must form a unified process that will improve the economic and tax situation in Serbia.
He explained that the Law on planning and construction is closely connected with restitution since it is presumed that land is private property, whereas the Law on residential planning is of special importance since it will set up a hierarchy of urbanistic acts.
Each part of our land must be equally important which is also reflected in the National Investment Plan and the Serbian Economic Development Strategy, said the Minister. He added that €4 million invested in Serbia should become reality not only through the sale of companies, but also through large greenfield investments.
Parivodic invited local self-governments to get involved in economic development of local communities and to start implementing the Bill on foreign investments that can be found on the Ministry of International Economic Relations' web page.
US Ambassador to Belgrade Michael Polt said that without economic progress there is no point talking about Serbia's ties with the EU and USA.
He stressed that in the past three years, Serbia has done a lot, however there still remains a great deal to do, such as to open the market, conclude privatisation, solve the issue of poor companies.
Serbian Minister of Economy Predrag Bubalo announced that a draft law on even-balanced regional development will be forwarded to the government, adding that a strategy on regional equal development is also underway.
According to Bubalo, this will help improve the potentials of local self-governments in their economic development. At the same time local authorities should find a balance between political decisions and market principles.
President of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities Zeljko Ozegovic specified that in the last decade Serbia lost €1.3 billion, that is 60,000 jobs because local self-governments did not have their own property at their own disposal.
Ozegovic said that the adoption of the new Constitution has created the conditions for the law on local self-governments to be passed.
He pointed to the fact that in the restitution process, as a significant part of the upcoming property restructuring in Serbia, historical rights of original owners should be respected, as well as the rights of those who acquired the property in question in line with previous laws.
According to Parivodic, the ensuing property restructuring in Serbia will enable municipalities to be active, become bearers of local infrastructure development and have incomes of their own. He added that the burden of the restitution will not fall on the backs of local communities.
The Minister recalled that the government passed the Law on financing the local self-governments which enables larger incomes for them, adding that other legal solutions are underway.
He also said that the restitution of construction land, fixed decentralisation, the Law on planning and construction and property restitution must form a unified process that will improve the economic and tax situation in Serbia.
He explained that the Law on planning and construction is closely connected with restitution since it is presumed that land is private property, whereas the Law on residential planning is of special importance since it will set up a hierarchy of urbanistic acts.
Each part of our land must be equally important which is also reflected in the National Investment Plan and the Serbian Economic Development Strategy, said the Minister. He added that €4 million invested in Serbia should become reality not only through the sale of companies, but also through large greenfield investments.
Parivodic invited local self-governments to get involved in economic development of local communities and to start implementing the Bill on foreign investments that can be found on the Ministry of International Economic Relations' web page.
US Ambassador to Belgrade Michael Polt said that without economic progress there is no point talking about Serbia's ties with the EU and USA.
He stressed that in the past three years, Serbia has done a lot, however there still remains a great deal to do, such as to open the market, conclude privatisation, solve the issue of poor companies.
Serbian Minister of Economy Predrag Bubalo announced that a draft law on even-balanced regional development will be forwarded to the government, adding that a strategy on regional equal development is also underway.
According to Bubalo, this will help improve the potentials of local self-governments in their economic development. At the same time local authorities should find a balance between political decisions and market principles.
President of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities Zeljko Ozegovic specified that in the last decade Serbia lost €1.3 billion, that is 60,000 jobs because local self-governments did not have their own property at their own disposal.
Ozegovic said that the adoption of the new Constitution has created the conditions for the law on local self-governments to be passed.
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