Serbia Today, 97-06-03

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From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

Serbia Today

CONTENTS

[01] RATKO MARKOVIC RECEIVES THE AMBASSADOR OF FINLAND

[02] COMMUNIQUE BY THE REPUBLICAN MINSTER OF TRADE ON UNACCEPTABLE POLITIZATION OF A REGULAR JOB OF INSPECTION

[03] SESSION OF THE REPUBLICAN COUNCIL FOR POLICIES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

[04] YESTERDAY IN THE GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA LICENSES GRANTED TO CIVIL ENGINEERING FIRMS

[05] DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA DR. BUDIMIR STOKIC, RECEIVES DELEGATION OF THE KOREAN CORPORATION DEWOO CORP

[01] RATKO MARKOVIC RECEIVES THE AMBASSADOR OF FINLAND

Serbia Today, 1997-06-03

Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Prof.Dr. Ratko Markovic received yesterday in the Government of Serbia the Ambassador of Finland, Mr. Ilpo Manninen, at his request.

Finish diplomate expressed interest for the developments in our country, especially in the field of social and economic reforms and the ownership transformation. Deputy Prime Minister Markovic informed the guest of the forthcoming legislative activities of the National Assembly of Serbia in these fields and especially of the work on adoption and basic regulations of the draft Law on Local Self-Government.

[02] COMMUNIQUE BY THE REPUBLICAN MINSTER OF TRADE ON UNACCEPTABLE POLITIZATION OF A REGULAR JOB OF INSPECTION

Serbia Today, 1997-06-03

On the occasion of writings which have appeared in some of the newspapers, on the control performed of illegal trading of goods outside of the business premisses by physical persons, published on May 31 and June 1, 1997, Ministry of Trade of the Government of Serbia wishes to inform the public with the legal proceedings, results and true meaning of the control which was carried out.

The focus of this control was aimed at market places and other public venues in the Republic of Serbia where the largest part of illegal trading is taking place, both of excise goods and other public consumption articles.

In this coordinated control action, 256 republican market inspectors have taken part. By the control of goods designated for trade and found in the transport vehicles without documents as to their use, or goods presented for sales without documents on the origin, and the sales carried out by persons not authorized for trading, republican market inspection undertook legally prescribed measures.

A total of 1,932 control activities were carried out and on the basis of the established state of facts, the following measures were undertaken: - a total of 395 corresponding charges were filed with the authorized judicial bodies for filing litigation proceedings, i.e. charges for corporate offense; - a total of 266 decrees were passed on rectifying of irregularities; - the relevant goods, subject of fraudulent activities, were confiscated in the total value of 1,636,967 dinars; - from the total confiscated goods, the value of confiscated excise products amounts to 492, 682 dinars.

We wish to point out that these excise goods were confiscated from five physical persons.

The total of 97 mandate fines were pronounced and collected on the spot, in the total amount of 52,100 dinars.

Ministry of Trade is of the view that it is absolutely unacceptable to have politization of the regular inspection work and activities which are being permanently undertaken and are one of the priorities in the solution of the market situation. This even more so since over the last few months an absolute stability of prices has been achieved and the market is well stocked with goods in a high degree.

Earning of political points through the demogagical thesis on "plunder and racketeering" by the state, must be substituted with the interpretation on the struggle for legalization of the shadow economy and the fight against smuggling and illegal businesses. In such cases political orientations must not be the basis for different understandings of the problem.

Goods without declaration of origin, without appropriate documents and without paid sales tax can not be the subject of political negotiations, without their being subjected to the inspection treatment. The sales tax from such type of sales would be used for covering of budgetary obligations towards social categories, education and judiciary. Social trade is jeopardized with such a manner of sales and then, being dissatisfied, it is making demands on the Government of the Republic of Serbia for intervention from various funds and various reserves. Therefore the stand of the Republican Board of the Trade Unions from the field of trade, supporting undertaken activities in preventing illegal sales of goods, is not regressing from the designed policies of the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

It is obvious that these activities in spite of the fact that they were carried out by inspectors in accordance with their proper authorizations and respect for the procedure, have placed in jeopardy some personal or group interests, which shall certainly not have any bearing and giving up on further inspection controls.

In the execution of a coordinated control for purpose of preventing illegal trading of goods, republican market inspectors were adhering to the rules and authorizations prescribed by Law on Conditions for Trading of Goods, Offering of Services in Trading of Goods and Inspection Supervision, as well as the provisions of the Law on State Administration.

Attempts by some persons through the mass media to insinuate falsehoods indicating that the republican inspectors, contrary to the positive regulations, have been confiscating the goods from citizens - "the poorest ones", without giving them after confiscation any receipts for the confiscated goods, and falsehoods that this is a racketeering of citizens, are aimed at creating a false image in the public on the work of this authority and heating up of an even larger scale illegal trading, which is placing in jeopardy the legal trade. These individuals are at the same time not undertaking nay constructive measures in order to, as they say, provide for "the poorest ones" even minimum conditions for legalization of such trading, and in this way for introduction of more order in this field.

Avoiding by persons in question to appear, after they have been regularly served with summons, for purpose of identification, drawing of minutes, for them to be present during counting or measuring of the confiscated goods, to make a statement about the origin of goods and receive the receipts on confiscated goods, all this has the aim to avoid liability and punishment by the judicial bodies.

But in this control action, there was a regular hearing of 395 persons who have appeared at the designated time and place of hearing, have properly received receipts with minutes, while the large number of persons has evaded this procedure for the above stated reasons, but the goods were confiscated from them being the subject of a fraudulent offense. It is obvious that everyone is not happy with introducing order in this field, but are making obstructive actions with the aim to prevent daily control through the application of the Law in the Field of Trade for purpose of suppression of the shadow economy.

Regardless of this, the republican market inspection shall continue with 24- hour activities aimed at placing under the state control of the entire trading of goods and services and the sales outside of business premisses must take place in accordance with Law and Rules of Procedure.

This communique is signed by the Republican Minister of Trade, Mr. Srdjan Nikolic.

[03] SESSION OF THE REPUBLICAN COUNCIL FOR POLICIES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Serbia Today, 1997-06-03

Yesterday in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, under the chairmanship of the academician Dusan Kanazir, session was held of the Republican Council for Policies in Science and Technology.

While discussing the program of research in the field of technological development, members of the Council have supported the orientation in the technological and economic development of Serbia which is based on its own scientific and research potential and the available production capacities. Towards this task will also be turned not only this-year's research program, but also all the programs of scientific and technological development.

In the realization of the program of research in the field of technological development, according to the conclusions of the Council, the entire available research potential of Serbia will be engaged, through the focused fundamental, applied and development research, with the high selection of research scientists and project managers. For this work this year sufficient financial resources must be allocated, and in this respect further to the funds from the budget, also the funds from public enterprises will be allocated, instigation for production organizations offered through tax benefits, and funds of companies and credits for scientific research work pooled to that end.

The Council has adopted today the Proposal for the project tasks for strategic research and technological projects for the period 1997-2000, as well as Criteria for awarding academic titles.

[04] YESTERDAY IN THE GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA LICENSES GRANTED TO CIVIL ENGINEERING FIRMS

Serbia Today, 1997-06-03

The investors shall in future be in the position to chose among those of the approximately equivalent capabilities and it shall never happen again that a small company is competing with the firm having available large- scale machinery and excellent references. This was stated yesterday in the Government of Serbia on the occasion of granting licenses to the civil engineering companies, by the Minister of Civil Engineering, Mr. Branislav Ivkovic, today's press reports.

Licenses are the solution for complying with the conditions on drafting of the technical documentation for building of structures, while granting of licenses is the practice which exists in the developed world and this was regulated for the first time by the Law on Construction of Structures and amendments and supplements to this Law which were recently adopted by the National Assembly of Serbia.

The official granting of licenses marked the beginning of classification of civil engineering firms and their division into those with less or more capabilities, and yesterday 58 of the civil engineering enterprises received the licenses.

Licenses may be obtained by all the companies, but they are classified according to the buildings for which the permits are issued either by the municipality or by the city, and especially the buildings for which the construction permits are being issued by the competent ministry of the Republic of Serbia.

It is extremely important that in the future adjudications bidding will be done by the firms of the same capabilities, especially when execution of works in question is on the large-scale and it is a capital investment building, said Minister Ivkovic.

According to Ivkovic, licenses are not of an indefinite validity and may be revoked if the enterprise in question should start executing works of a lesser quality and would have poorer business results, and every five years there will be a verification of the capability and references of companies, when the decision will be made on their eventual extension.

Until the legal time limit for granting of licenses, which was November 4, 1996, applications were submitted by some 1,300 enterprises, among them 900 applications have been granted while after this deadline yet another 1,000 applications were submitted which are now being debated by the Commission. This was stated on behalf of the Commission for granting of licenses, by Prof.Dr. Zivojin Brascevic.

Enterprises not having the license will not be able to bid for construction of capital investment structures.

As of yesterday, neither the foreign contractors nor foreign construction design companies who are not equipped with construction machinery and staff, will be able to design and construct without the license of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, said Ivkovic. "Criteria for granting the license to foreign contractors are identical with the criteria for the local enterprises", underlined Ivkovic.

[05] DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA DR. BUDIMIR STOKIC, RECEIVES DELEGATION OF THE KOREAN CORPORATION DEWOO CORP

Serbia Today, 1997-06-03

Deputy Minister of Industry in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Dr. Budimir Stokic, received yesterday the delegation of the Korean corporation DEWOO CORP, headed by Kim Kjung Jun, director of the representative office in Budapest.

During the talks, mutual interest was confirmed for continuing cooperation which had a growing trend before the sanctions, and it was agreed that a special attention shall be devoted to the fields of industrial cooperation and foreign investments in the automobile and electronic industries, leasing jobs and banking. The hotel industry was also mentioned as a potentially interesting new field of cooperation. The Korean firm is also interested in the import of timber, copper and aluminium.

There was special discussion of the announcement of the republican Law on Ownership Transformation, which together with the Law on Foreign Investments and the Law on Concessions is offering a broad framework for cooperation also in the other fields of economy, such as the telecommunications.

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