Total debt of 1.500 tax debtors whose names were released by the Serbian Tax Administration add up to RSD 359.3 billion, the Administration officials released at the Tuesday press conference.

Of this sum, companies owe RSD 345.9 billion, entrepreneurs owe RSD 8.5 billion and the debt of individuals adds up to RSD 4.9 billion.

Director of the Serbian Tax Administration Office Dragutin Radosavljevic stated that publication of the list of tax debtors brought about tangible results because the charge rate of taxes and contribution has increased.

In January, when the list of 300 major debtors was released for the first time, the charge rate was 9.2 per cent higher than the planned amount, and total revenues were higher both in realistic and nominal terms than in the previous ten years, he said.

The lists released on Tuesday do not include the companies which have managed to meet their dues or entered the restructuring procedure, Radosavljevic stated and noted that one third of debtors launched one of the modes to pay off their dues.

Radosavljevic noted that the principle of transparency and openness is the main operating manner of the Serbian Tax Administration, as was made clear by the release of debtors' lists.

Radosavljevic reflected on the charging of public revenues in the first three months of the year and underscored that the amount is by RSD 4.6 billion higher than the planned figure, which means that the charge rate is 3.4 per cent higher.

He explained that it is important to point out that the talk about reducing budget revenues does not cover tax-based revenues.

This point primarily does not apply to four tax forms, including VAT, excise duty, corporate income tax and income tax, he underscored.

Radosavljevic specified that planned revenues for the first three months added up to RSD 138.19 billion while the realised revenues totalled RSD 142.86 billion.