Serbia, 23 November 2007 – Resolving problem of overpaid money for party financing

Transparency-Serbia welcomes the decision of the Government of Serbia to propose a provision in the budget law for 2008, which aims to secure the return of assets into the state budget that parliamentary political parties got in previous years. Amounts larger than prescribed by the Law on Financing of Political Parties, and totalling about 62 million of Dinars (more than €750,000) were overpaid during the last year.

To implement this regulation, it is necessary that Members of Parliament vote for it and that the Ministry of Finance precisely determines all inconsistencies with the Law on Financing of Political Parties in the period from 2004 until today, as well as identifies the amount overpaid to each political party.

If the parliament and the Ministry of Finance do so, consequences of mistakes which Transparency Serbia pointed out to on September 20th 2007, will be resolved in the best way. In that way state organs will also encourage civil society organizations and media to actively monitor the process of adoption and execution of the budget in the future.

Transparency-Serbia