Media sector "will not have public companies"

BELGRADE Serbia’s Finance Minister Mladjan Dinkic says that he has submitted an amendment to the Draft Law on Public Enterprises to the competent parliamentary committee. He explained that the amendment would harmonize the Draft Law on Public Enterprises with the Media Strategy. Media sector "will not have public companies" The assistant culture minister has stressed that the Media Strategy will not be changed. Dinkic wrote on his Twitter account that the proposed amendment was to erase an article that envisages a possibility to found public enterprises in the field of information, which media representatives find unacceptable. The second article of the Draft Law on Public Enterprises envisages a possibility to found public enterprises in the field of information and the media associations believe that it annuls the Media Strategy and increases the state’s influence in the media. “There is no reason to worry. We have already sent an amendment to the parliamentary committee that will erase the word ‘information’ from the article you mention so there would be no confusion,” Dinkic told Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) President Vukasin Obradovic on Twitter. “The Culture and Information Ministry will not change the Media Strategy and deadlines envisaged by the document that will be respected,” said Assistant Culture Minister Dragan Kolarevic at a session of the parliament’s Culture and Information Committee on Thursday. He added that the solution was a result of an agreement between Dinkic and Culture Minister Bratislav Petkovic and that the ministry did not react to the article earlier because the draft law had not been submitted to them. Kolarevic stressed that the initial solutions in the draft law were contrary to the Media Strategy, especially the part referring to the withdrawal of the state from the media. “The amendment solved this,” he said. When asked by Democratic Party (DS) MP Jelena Trivan whether the Media Strategy would be fully implemented, partially implemented or not implemented at all, he said that the ministry would not change the Strategy and that it was not their intention to implement it “selectively”. Kolarevic noted that local broadcasting companies were a problem, bearing in mind that it was a majority opinion that such media should not be founded. He added that the ministry was working on a preparation of a set of media laws – on broadcasting companies, electronic media, foreign media, prohibited concentration and media ownership and a technical law on accreditation granting procedure. He also said that the ministry would send the bills to all interested parties and that they would be publicly debated before the adoption. Commenting on Tanjug news agency, Kolarevic said that the Media Strategy envisaged an obligation to make a draft on its transformation but that “it will be solved within other laws”. Mladjan Dinkic (Beta, file) Beta Tanjug

Media sector "will not have public companies"

The assistant culture minister has stressed that the Media Strategy will not be changed.

Dinkić wrote on his Twitter account that the proposed amendment was to erase an article that envisages a possibility to found public enterprises in the field of information, which media representatives find unacceptable.

The second article of the Draft Law on Public Enterprises envisages a possibility to found public enterprises in the field of information and the media associations believe that it annuls the Media Strategy and increases the state’s influence in the media.

“There is no reason to worry. We have already sent an amendment to the parliamentary committee that will erase the word ‘information’ from the article you mention so there would be no confusion,” Dinkić told Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) President Vukašin Obradović on Twitter.

“The Culture and Information Ministry will not change the Media Strategy and deadlines envisaged by the document that will be respected,” said Assistant Culture Minister Dragan Kolarević at a session of the parliament’s Culture and Information Committee on Thursday.

He added that the solution was a result of an agreement between Dinkić and Culture Minister Bratislav Petković and that the ministry did not react to the article earlier because the draft law had not been submitted to them.

Kolarević stressed that the initial solutions in the draft law were contrary to the Media Strategy, especially the part referring to the withdrawal of the state from the media.

“The amendment solved this,” he said. When asked by Democratic Party (DS) MP Jelena Trivan whether the Media Strategy would be fully implemented, partially implemented or not implemented at all, he said that the ministry would not change the Strategy and that it was not their intention to implement it “selectively”.

Kolarević noted that local broadcasting companies were a problem, bearing in mind that it was a majority opinion that such media should not be founded.

He added that the ministry was working on a preparation of a set of media laws – on broadcasting companies, electronic media, foreign media, prohibited concentration and media ownership and a technical law on accreditation granting procedure. He also said that the ministry would send the bills to all interested parties and that they would be publicly debated before the adoption.

Commenting on Tanjug news agency, Kolarević said that the Media Strategy envisaged an obligation to make a draft on its transformation but that “it will be solved within other laws”.