09. 06. 2014

SERBIA LATE WITH DIGITALIZATION

09. 06. 2014 (Tanjug, B92) - Serbia is lagging behind in the implementation of the digitalization process and has completed about 15 to 20 percent of the job, says the Minister of Trade and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić.

Because of that, he announced for September the signing of a loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the purchase of necessary equipment.

The first deadline for the completion of the digitalization was 4 April, 2012, but it was postponed for 17 June, 2015 due to the delays, said Ljajic during a debate on amendments to the Law on Electronic Communications at the Serbian Parliament.

The EU granted 10.5 million Euros in aid to Serbia for the introduction of digitalization and this phase is completed, but the EU is interested that this process be completed as soon as possible, Ljajić said, adding that Serbia is implementing a series of actions and measures to accelerate the process.

We will face a big problem if by 2015 the digitalization process is not complete, said Ljajić, adding that if we do not accomplish this, it will cause major harm to the state and the citizens.

"The completion of this process requires the adoption of a set of media laws important for the digitalization process, which I expect to be sent to Parliament for approval next week," said Ljajić, adding that it is necessary to obtain the necessary funds for the completion of digitalization.

"We are in the final stages of negotiations with EBRD, which will conduct the whole process, both the tender and procurement of the necessary equipment, and the plan is to sign by the end of June or beginning of July a preliminary contract, and in September the loan agreement, which would allow the acceleration of the digitalization process and its completion by June", said Lajić.

"This process is expenditure for the state and it was originally planned at around 70 million Euros, but I hope that we will complete it for three times less. However, we still do not know the exact cost," said Ljajić and emphasized that digitalization will bring great benefits, which are estimated at 50 to 100 million Euros.

"This benefit will not be less than 50 million Euros, and it is a resource that we have to make use of," Ljajic said. He noted that the establishing of a public telecommunications network is also an imperative, as significant as digitalization, because, as Ljaljic said, if we do not so, in the case of Telecom privatization we will be in a situation that Telecom is using services of private telecommunication companies.