22. 12. 2005

TV SUBSCRIPTION CHARGE STARTED

BELGRADE, December 22, 2005 – Some households in Serbia and in Belgrade have already received joint bills for electricity and TV subscription, said the spokesperson of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia, Sandra Alagic. “I have also, like part of households in the capital, received the bill. The rest of the citizens will be receiving the bills as the reading of the electricity meters progresses. For the moment, everything is proceeding as planned. We have been preparing for this for a long time, so we don’t expect any delays. There is also a sufficient number of exemption request forms printed”, said Alagic. According to Alagic, the citizens were well informed so the first set of bills did not cause long cues at the EPS counters. All households will receive their bills by the end of the month, while the citizens who under the law can be exempt from the payment of the subscription, can file their request forms together with the necessary documentation. The law provides that the households with at least one member with 100 percent disability, one member with less than 100 percent disability that needs professional care, or a member with permanent loss of sight or hearing, have the right to exemption from payment of the TV subscription. They need to file the form number 1, electricity and TV subscription bill, a photocopy of identification card, statement or a photocopy of a report from the relevant institution (pension and disability insurance) and the most recent statement of the special care and assistance compensation. Beside the photocopy of the personal identification card, the owner of the electricity meter is obliged to provide also the photocopy of a disabled person’s ID card. For the minors, the extract from the birth records is also required. The subscription is also mandatory for the owners of radio and TV receivers in vehicles. They would have to pay 629 dinars for the subscription with the car registration. Households that have cable TV will have to pay the subscription too, so their monthly obligations will be significantly enlarged. All information regarding the TV subscription and exemptions from payment can be found on RTS’ telephone numbers and official website.