At the sitting held on 7 May, the members of the Committee on Transportation and Communications considered the Republic Telecommunication Agency’s 2009 Activity Report with the RATEL 2010 framework activity plan and the Bill on the Confirmation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on inland waterways navigation and technical maintenance.

At the sitting, the Committee members were also briefed on the initiative of the representatives of the representative unions of telecommunication company Telekom Srbija AD concerning the announced sale of the company.

The sitting was chaired by the Committee Chairman, Velimir Ilic.

RATEL representatives briefed the Committee on the Agency’s activities and work from its creation in 2005 to the present, pointing out that the term of office of the Agency’s Executive Board members has expired. They deemed that the main goal with which the Agency was created has been reached viz. opening up of the telecommunication market in order to allow its further development. They listed the basic development parameters of mobile and landline telephony, internet and cable distributive systems.

Discussing this item on the agenda the members of the Committee on Transportation and Communications pointed out the importance of developing telecommunications in Serbia, stressing that the RATEL report would be discussed further at one of the upcoming sittings, when the Agency submits a new report and in the presence of representatives of the competent ministry. Following the discussion the Committee members accepted the Republic Telecommunication Agency’s 2009 Activity Report, with the RATEL 2010 framework activity plan.

A representative of the Ministry of Infrastructure briefly outlined the Bill on the Confirmation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on inland waterways navigation and technical maintenance which the Committee members accepted after a short discussion.

In the continuation, the representatives of the representative unions of telecommunication company Telekom Srbija AD informed the Committee members on their initiative and position on the announced sale of the company. They stated that by selling 40% of the company’s shares the state would lose its majority ownership adding that they find none of the arguments made by the representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia to justify the sale of the company convincing enough. They requested support for the company’s employees such as a social programme if the company is sold, as well as a guaranteed price for the employees’ and citizens shares’ for a 2 year period and correspondent to the price for which the state sells its share packet.

In the discussion with the union representatives the Committee members proposed that the unions send letters to each of the 250 deputies informing them of their demands and request a meeting on the subject with the heads of the Deputy Groups at the National Assembly. They showed understanding for the employees’ union initiative as well as efforts to have their demands included in the tender documentation for the Telekom sale procedure.