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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

RSD 900 million for most disadvantaged groups in Kosovo-Metohija

Belgrade, 27 December 2007

Serbian Minister of Trade and Services Predrag Bubalo said that the Serbian government adopted today a programme for providing help to most disadvantaged groups of population in Kosovo-Metohija, which envisages nearly RSD 900 million from the 2008 budget for that purpose.

Predrag Bubalo

Bubalo told a press conference that in 2007 the government set aside RSD 325 million for helping socially disadvantaged groups in Kosovo-Metohija, and added that help is intended for persons with disabilities, families with children and infants.

The Minister said that considering the fact that all funds for 2007 were not spent, one-off payments from RSD 4,500 to RSD 9,144 per person will be made to socially disadvantaged groups until the end of this year.

The Serbian government adopted today the bill on foreigners, which is one of the conditions for European integration, said the Minister and added that implementation of this law should begin by July 1, 2008.

According to Bubalo, the new law on foreigners fully implements the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement and stay of foreigners in Serbia. Four new kinds of visas have also been introduced, airport transit visa, transit, short stay and temporary long stay.

The Minister reminded that the existing law which regulates this area was brought in 1980 and despite many amendments was not harmonised with the new Constitution until now.

Bubalo said that the government adopted the Rule book on the list of medicines given from the compulsory medical insurance. As a result, the price of some medicines will fall, while a great number of those which have not been given on prescription so far will be moved to the positive list. He said that the government also brought the Decision on the way and parity of natural exchange of mineral fertilisers for mercantile maize for 2007, adding that this is a form of assistance to agricultural producers who suffered losses because of this year's drought.

Sasa Dragin

Serbian Minister of Environmental Protection Sasa Dragin said that the government adopted today a set of environment laws and introduced much stricter penalties against polluters.

He explained that the Bill on amendments to the Law on environmental protection introduces penalties against polluters that are 20 times higher than present ones, so it will be much more profitable for them to invest in purification systems than to pay fines.

Dragin specified that under the existing law the highest fine for a polluter is RSD 3 million, while according to the new bill, they will range from RSD 30 million to RSD 60 million.