At its fifth sitting, held on 19 November, the Committee on Transportation and Communications discussed the Ministry of Infrastructure and Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society Plan and programme for 2008.

The sitting was chaired by the Committee Chairman, Vladan Vucicevic, and attended by Alexandra Smiljanic, Minister of Telecommunications and Information Society and Velimir Ilic, Minister of Infrastructure and associates.

Minister of Telecommunications and Information Society, Alexandra Smiljanic, informed the Committee members of the Ministry’s plans for 2008, above all the preparation of a Draft Bill on telecommunications, information society, electronic archives and electronic administration. The Ministry will also work on the development of an e-administration in Serbia, a programme of restructuring the domestic telecommunication industry, drafting a telecommunications action plan and strategy, promotion of information society and strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Minister of Infrastructure, Velimir Ilic, informed the Committee members that, like in the previous period, the Ministry will continue with infrastructure projects such as Corridor 10, Horgos-Pozega and Nis-Dimitrovgrad roads and other magisterial and local roads. In railway transportation, work will be done on the reconstruction of railways in Serbia.

During the discussion the Committee members exchanged opinions on the issues of the cable television system, television signal coverage in Serbia, regional land and mobile telephony coverage, development of passenger and railway infrastructure, allotment of National Investment Plan means for the needs of the railway, strategy of investment into infrastructure, problems in the passenger industry and budgetary allotments for authorised ministries.