Serbia: Municipalities in Vojvodina lost EUR 64.3 million because of NIS

“The difference of 3 to 7 percent prevented solving the problem of the drinking water supply in the north of Banat, repairing damaged roads and repairing damaged houses and public buildings”

Bojan Kostres, Secretary General of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina said today that Vojvodina municipalities lost EUR 64.3 million eight billion RSD in four years, because the Petroleum Industry of Serbia pays three percent for the mining royalties instead of seven percent, as prescribed by the law.

In the press release Kostres said that not only because of these data it is necessary to revise the Energy Agreement with the Russian Federation which was signed in 2008 when NIS passed into the majority ownership of the Russian partners.

He stated that the amount of mining royalty that NIS pays in Serbia is the lowest in Europe, adding that mining royalty in Croatia is 10 percent, in Hungary 12 %, in Bulgaria 12.5%, in Slovenia 18%, and in Russia even up to 22 percent.

“The difference of 3 to 7 percent prevented solving the problem of the drinking water supply in the north of Banat, repairing damaged roads and repairing damaged houses and public buildings” said Kostres.

He welcomed the announcement of the Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Branislav Nedimovic that the state will file a lawsuit against all companies that do not pay environmental taxes for lubricant oils and other products, including NIS.

NIS refers to the Energy Agreement, according to which the company, as they say, is exempted from environmental taxes.

Kostres called on Nedimovic to ask for the attitude of the Government of Serbia as soon as possible as well as the analysis of the Energy Agreement with Russia, which should eventually result in and its revision, in accordance with interests of citizens of Serbia and Vojvodina.

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