Row over TV license fee: PM "overstepped powers"

Row over TV license fee: PM "overstepped powers"

"The decision announced to us by Aleksandar Vucic that the tax will be RSD 150 is not in accordance with the law," Obradovic told the Beta news agency.

He added that the prime minister overlooked article 37 of the Law on Public Media Services which states a decision on the fee is to be made jointly by management boards of Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) and Radio Television Vojvodina (RTV).

Vucic on November 11 announced that the state would allocate RSD 4 billion to the two public broadcasters, while citizens would, starting on January 1, start paying a mandatory monthly license fee (tax) of RSD 150.

He added that the decision to reduce this fee from 500 to 150 dinars was made "because of the bad financial situation of pensioners, but also out of fear that collection would otherwise be low."

According to the Law on Public Media Services, adopted last year, the state will on January 1, 2016 stop funding these media and to reintroduce a tax in the amount determined by their boards of directors. The RTS board in late June decided that the tax would be 500 dinars.