Thousands of citizens to get half million of EUR in compensation

‘Half a million of EUR is a maximal amount to be given to former owners of nationalized property in the process of restitution’, Bozidar Djelic, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister says for ‘Blic’. According to his words that amount was determined ‘after long consideration and on the basis of experience of the neighboring country, one of them being Croatia that has determined the same limit’,

Supported by

Q: Can half a million of EUR be given for every property?

‘That is the maximal amount per person. If someone is inheriting property from several former owners that someone shall not be entitled to get more than half a million of EUR. If some parts of property can be returned in material form it shall be done so’.

Q: Many citizens protest that such huge amount of money is allocated for that purpose at the time of crisis

Supported by

‘About 150,000 citizens and their families are interested in restitution. I believe that the large majority shall support reasonable correction of injustice made to them but not in the manner that Serbian budget is affected. The total amount of two billions of EUR is six percent of the GDP and that is the maximum agreed with the IMF. It shall not affect macro-stability. That is the amount allocated by the Czech Republic, for example’.

Q: The European Commission also gave its opinion over the Law on Restitution. Did it make many remarks?

‘No, it did not because the EC clearly said that the concrete solutions are our decision exclusively. One of the remarks was that in this process the citizens should not bear most of the burden in collecting evidence that they are owners of property they want to get back. That is why all competent institutions are under obligation to issue to them within thirty days all documentation required. The citizens shall not have to pay any administration taxes for issuance of those papers’.

Supported by

Q: Do you expect severe debate in the Parliament after the law gets into adoption procedure after September 22?

‘I am expecting debate with arguments. I would be glad that this law is supported not only by the ruling coalition because it is high time that the problem of restitution is closed’.

Source blic.rs