17. 11. 2005

RTV SUBSCRIPTION STARTS IN DECEMBER

BELGRADE, November 17, 2005 – The Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) started with distribution of announcements for the RTS subscription fee that would be collected together with the electricity bill as of December. The distribution of announcements started after the EPS and RTS had signed the agreement on charge of the TV subscription with the electricity bills. The subscription fee will be a separate heading specified on the electricity bill. The joint bill will also specify the total amount owing, the amount for the number of kilowatt-hours spent and the tax applied. The bills will be issued to all owners of electricity meters. However, only those citizens who do not have a TV or radio receiver in their homes and weekend house owners may apply for the exemption from payment of the subscription. Households, whose members own two or more apartments or weekend houses, will pay the subscription for only one receiver. Legal entities will be charged depending on the number of staff members – 300 dinars per every 20 employees. Social services and institutions, schools, hospitals and diplomatic and consular missions will also be exempt from the subscription charge. The consumers will receive their electricity bills with the TV subscription heading during next month. Although the Electric Power Industry of Serbia was reluctant to agree to such method of subscription charge, it finally decided to accept the government’s recommendation. EPS maintained earlier that tying the two bills would result in 7-8 percent collection drop, or around 280 million dinars a month.