18. 11. 2005

TV SUBSCRITPION BILLS IN NIS

NIS, November 18, 2005 – Some companies in Nis also received TV subscription bills. Private company “Ekopromet” received two identical bills for TV subscription for October, while the same document reached the address of their neighbors, “Najstrejt” company. “The bill came as a regular mail on November 15. When I opened the envelope and saw the bill, I was surprised at first because I’ve heard the subscription will be charged together with the electricity bill starting from December 1. It however crossed my mind that some different method of collection would be applied to companies and other legal entities, and I was going to pay the bill. But not before I saw the article in the daily Glas javnosti did I realize that it was all a scam”, said Dragana Albijanic, company owner. Albijanic also mentioned that her neighbor, owner of “Najstrejd” company Stojmen Nasic, also received the same bill. The TV subscription bill delivered to “Ekopromet” seems like a genuine bill, because it contains all information on RTS account number, logo and VAT number. The obligation is for October, with the payment due date, November 21. The bill clearly provides information that TV subscription was envisaged by the Article 81, Paragraph 5 of the Broadcast Act. The article stipulates that “hotels and motels pay one subscription for every 10 rooms with TV and radio receivers, while all other legal entities pay one subscription per every 20 members of the staff who are in position to watch TV program”. However, neither “Ekopromet” nor “Najstrejd” have this number of employees. “We expect this case would be clarified and that the police would take necessary measures to stop these false bills. Who knows how many companies received a similar bill, but there will surely be the ones who would pay it”, said Albijanic.