"Electricity price to go up 60% by 2013"

Is that because we have a lot of water in Serbia?

The price of electricity in Serbia should increase by 60 percent by 2013, since that is a precondition for the opening up of the market.
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Wow, the people are beginning to reap the rewards of EU membership so quickly. Now that's progress.

Is this person really qualified to bear responsibility over any other person?

Seriously, just because things are more expensive elsewhere prices should go up locally? What kind of insanity is that? If that is not anti-competitive then at least it is unfair for selling something for a price higher than necessary from a monopoly position. I think that constitutes extortion.

And what about equal wages and incomes for Serbians compared to the region first, before raising the prices and plunge even more people into poverty?

Although a born and raised European myself, I don't think Serbia has much to gain from becoming part of the EU anyway. Serbia will just become the next place for the multi-nationals that rule the EU to exploit the local economy with practices they can not get away with any longer in the EU itself. Go talk to some people along the coast in Croatia to figure out what it means to be "supported" (sucked dry) by the EU.

Serbia deserves to be treated fairly, which till date is still not the case. Sadly a lot of people in Serbia think that this will only happen when Serbia becomes part of the EU (almost like Stockholm syndrome if you think about it). Sadly, I am afraid that not even that will do it.

On the other end you have people who are wise enough to know that the EU will only bring profit for a few. They are sadly quite often being suckered with nationalistic rhetorics by people who pretend to be protecting the Serbian state. The only thing these politicians are really protecting is their private interests in a deeply corrupted state for which they have no intention of improvement.

In the end it's a tough choice, being sucked dry by the EU and their Serbian henchmen, or being sucked dry by the local power figures who try to hold of their EU competitors.

I don't envy Serbians for the position they are in. Cheap money-grabbing attempt like this one by Dragomir Marković simply don't help making things better in the region. I can only hope this guy will be replaced with somebody with a bit more sense and less dollar signs in his eyes.

I don't understand it. The current electricity price is subsidized by the state, or why is it so much lower than in other countries around? Or is it cheaper to produce electricity in Serbia?

What is not being said: PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) utility company in California while being corrupt to a large degree - did charge us LESS for utilities than what we pay in E.U. paradise called "Hungary". And our Hungarian home is much more energy-efficient and better built.

I guess, it's fair because Hungarian salaries are much higher than in Silicon Valley of California.

It is not about ripping people off by fake "privatizations". It is not 100% fair to tie such crime to the country's entry into E.U. - but it looks for me, E.U. did "help" a lot on that.

We have to remember that wise rulers of Sassanid Persia knew: no public service can be profitable. The profits come indirectly. For instance, having good infrastructure and high-quality but inexpensive hotels will make merchants come back... and they will spend more money locally. Ultimately the money will flow.

The "neo-liberal" trend worldwide now is: "let's privatize" everything: railways, airlines, utilities, healthcare. Emperor Chosroes knew that such ideas won't work. But he is dead for nearly 1500 years.

Wow, the people are beginning to reap the rewards of EU membership so quickly. Now that's progress.
(Zoran, 22 November 2010 13:38)

Why the EU? Where are your precious Russians with their precious Southstream gas pipeline? So much for the "benefit" of the Serbian people. Congratz to the Russian oligarchs raping Serbia's industry. "Kosovo is Serbia" is getting more and more expensive.

Albania got SCREWED royally by privatizing. Power goes off for days, bills come double the previous month, $60 for a old lady that uses a light...all without any explanation. Now they want to increase them by 12% this year.

All the power is produced by HEC build 30 years ago so power is cheap too. Expensive power is not good for business, that's for sure.

Increases in power are not only a problem with countries such as Serbia. I’m sure that someone living in New South Wales, Australia can expand more on this than me. If I am correct that state had for many years delayed replacing infrastructure because the successive state governments were planning to privatise, but the people refused to accept it and now the price of electricity is going to increase between 60% and 100% over the next 5 years to pay for these upgrades.

Electricity was cheap because there were only increases adjusted for inflation. Australian newspapers are full of hardship stories of pensioners being unable to pay their energy bills.

Serbia would be near identical to the New South Wales situation of rundown infrastructure.

For the ignorant, South stream gas pipeline will not be active until 2014/15. So our Russian friends have not “raped” Serbia. Gee I wish these people would keep up to date with current events – it only make them look stupid when making responses.
By the way Gazprom is not owned by the “oligarchs”. However, Serbia will squeeze every Euro out of the Albanians for gas.

Wow, the people are beginning to reap the rewards of EU membership so quickly. Now that's progress.
(Zoran, 22 November 2010 13:38)

Why the EU? Where are your precious Russians with their precious Southstream gas pipeline? So much for the "benefit" of the Serbian people. Congratz to the Russian oligarchs raping Serbia's industry. "Kosovo is Serbia" is getting more and more expensive.

The price of electricity in Serbia should increase by 60 percent by 2013, since that is a precondition for the opening up of the market.
--
Wow, the people are beginning to reap the rewards of EU membership so quickly. Now that's progress.

Increases in power are not only a problem with countries such as Serbia. I’m sure that someone living in New South Wales, Australia can expand more on this than me. If I am correct that state had for many years delayed replacing infrastructure because the successive state governments were planning to privatise, but the people refused to accept it and now the price of electricity is going to increase between 60% and 100% over the next 5 years to pay for these upgrades.

Electricity was cheap because there were only increases adjusted for inflation. Australian newspapers are full of hardship stories of pensioners being unable to pay their energy bills.

Serbia would be near identical to the New South Wales situation of rundown infrastructure.

For the ignorant, South stream gas pipeline will not be active until 2014/15. So our Russian friends have not “raped” Serbia. Gee I wish these people would keep up to date with current events – it only make them look stupid when making responses.
By the way Gazprom is not owned by the “oligarchs”. However, Serbia will squeeze every Euro out of the Albanians for gas.

Is that because we have a lot of water in Serbia?

I don't understand it. The current electricity price is subsidized by the state, or why is it so much lower than in other countries around? Or is it cheaper to produce electricity in Serbia?

What is not being said: PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) utility company in California while being corrupt to a large degree - did charge us LESS for utilities than what we pay in E.U. paradise called "Hungary". And our Hungarian home is much more energy-efficient and better built.

I guess, it's fair because Hungarian salaries are much higher than in Silicon Valley of California.

It is not about ripping people off by fake "privatizations". It is not 100% fair to tie such crime to the country's entry into E.U. - but it looks for me, E.U. did "help" a lot on that.

We have to remember that wise rulers of Sassanid Persia knew: no public service can be profitable. The profits come indirectly. For instance, having good infrastructure and high-quality but inexpensive hotels will make merchants come back... and they will spend more money locally. Ultimately the money will flow.

The "neo-liberal" trend worldwide now is: "let's privatize" everything: railways, airlines, utilities, healthcare. Emperor Chosroes knew that such ideas won't work. But he is dead for nearly 1500 years.

Is this person really qualified to bear responsibility over any other person?

Seriously, just because things are more expensive elsewhere prices should go up locally? What kind of insanity is that? If that is not anti-competitive then at least it is unfair for selling something for a price higher than necessary from a monopoly position. I think that constitutes extortion.

And what about equal wages and incomes for Serbians compared to the region first, before raising the prices and plunge even more people into poverty?

Although a born and raised European myself, I don't think Serbia has much to gain from becoming part of the EU anyway. Serbia will just become the next place for the multi-nationals that rule the EU to exploit the local economy with practices they can not get away with any longer in the EU itself. Go talk to some people along the coast in Croatia to figure out what it means to be "supported" (sucked dry) by the EU.

Serbia deserves to be treated fairly, which till date is still not the case. Sadly a lot of people in Serbia think that this will only happen when Serbia becomes part of the EU (almost like Stockholm syndrome if you think about it). Sadly, I am afraid that not even that will do it.

On the other end you have people who are wise enough to know that the EU will only bring profit for a few. They are sadly quite often being suckered with nationalistic rhetorics by people who pretend to be protecting the Serbian state. The only thing these politicians are really protecting is their private interests in a deeply corrupted state for which they have no intention of improvement.

In the end it's a tough choice, being sucked dry by the EU and their Serbian henchmen, or being sucked dry by the local power figures who try to hold of their EU competitors.

I don't envy Serbians for the position they are in. Cheap money-grabbing attempt like this one by Dragomir Marković simply don't help making things better in the region. I can only hope this guy will be replaced with somebody with a bit more sense and less dollar signs in his eyes.

Albania got SCREWED royally by privatizing. Power goes off for days, bills come double the previous month, $60 for a old lady that uses a light...all without any explanation. Now they want to increase them by 12% this year.

All the power is produced by HEC build 30 years ago so power is cheap too. Expensive power is not good for business, that's for sure.