Serbia is integrating approximately 11,000 administrative fees and charges into a nationwide digital payment reform aimed at improving transparency, simplifying public-sector transactions and reducing administrative obstacles for businesses and citizens.
The initiative, coordinated with business association NALED, will connect the national register of non-tax revenues with the government’s ePlati electronic payment platform. The system is intended to enable users to identify applicable charges and complete payments through an integrated digital infrastructure.
More than 105 local governments and 45 national institutions have started or completed the registration of fees under their respective jurisdictions. The first additional administrative procedures are expected to become available in November 2026, initially in Vranje and through the Tobacco Administration. The reform forms part of Serbia’s broader regulatory modernisation programme and its commitments under the European Union’s Western Balkans Growth Plan.
Fragmented administrative charges create compliance costs
Serbia’s administrative payment system has historically been distributed across more than 500 national regulations and 400 local regulations, creating difficulties for companies navigating permits, approvals and public services.
For industrial investors, administrative charges can arise at multiple stages, including company establishment, construction permitting, environmental approvals and operational licensing. The registration of 11,000 fees is an important step towards greater transparency, but it does not mean that all related administrative procedures have already been digitised.
The reform brings together three components: the register of non-tax revenues, the register of administrative procedures and electronic payment infrastructure. Their integration is expected to simplify payment identification and allow public institutions to verify transactions directly, eliminating the need for applicants to submit separate payment confirmations.
ePlati expansion and institutional implementation
The ePlati platform, introduced in 2021, has already processed more than 16 million transactions. Extending its use across public administration will require broader integration among national institutions and local governments.
Registration of administrative fees alone does not guarantee that all public officials will be able to process transactions through the platform or that electronic payments will accelerate the issuance of permits and administrative decisions. Additional transaction costs, particularly for card payments, could also affect adoption if digital payment becomes more expensive than existing alternatives.
Business impact depends on faster administrative procedures
For domestic and international companies, the effectiveness of the reform will depend on whether it reduces the time and cost involved in dealing with public authorities. More transparent charges could improve compliance budgeting, reduce uncertainty over regulatory costs and limit inconsistent administrative practices. Digital transaction records could also strengthen public financial controls and improve the allocation of non-tax revenues.
The next implementation phase will require measurable results, including the number of connected procedures, transaction volumes, processing times and administrative costs for businesses. Further integration with construction, environmental and business licensing systems could extend the reform’s impact on Serbia’s investment environment. Publishing administrative fees and simplifying the procedures associated with them remain separate elements of the reform.
