At the sitting held on 5 March, the Finance Committee considered the nominations for President of the Council of the National Bank of Serbia. The Committee noted that the Socialist Part of Serbia-United Serbia Deputy Group had retracted the nomination of Prof. Dr Nenad Vunjak for President of the Council of the National Bank of Serbia. Deputy Group For European Serbia nominated Dejan Soskic, associate professor at the Faculty of Economy in Belgrade, for NBS Council President, and, by a majority of votes, the Committee passed a Decision to nominate this candidate before the National Assembly for NBS Council President.

By a majority of votes, the Committee passed a Decision to create a Working group for the control of the political parties’ 2007 financial reports. The extended Working group comprises Committee members, representatives of the deputy groups represented in the Finance Committee, viz.: Milan Vuckovic, on the behalf of the Deputy Group For European Serbia, Zoran Kasalovic, on the behalf of the Socialist Party of Serbia-United Serbia Deputy Group, Balint Pasztor, on the behalf of the Minorities’ Deputy Group, Zoran Krasic, on the behalf of the Serbian Radical Party Deputy Group, Vlajko Senic, on the behalf of the G17 Plus Deputy Group, Jorgovanka Tabakovic, on the behalf of the Serbian Progressive Party Deputy Group and one representative each from the Democratic Party of Serbia-New Serbia and Liberal-Democratic Party Deputy Groups.

The Committee members went on to discuss the Securities Commission 2007 Activity Report and the Securities Commission 2009 Financial plan. The Report and Financial Plan were outlined by the Chairman of the Securities Commission, Milko Stimac, who stressed that the stagnation and downward trend observed on the capital market in 2007 and 2008, were caused by both the financial crisis and lack of institutional development of the capital market. This year’s plan envisages that the Commission continues its erstwhile manner of financing from procedural fees and organizing courses for brokers and portfolio managers.

The Committee also discussed the Bill on Prevention of Money-Laundering and Financing of Terrorism, the Bill amending and modifying the Expropriation Law and the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Tax Procedure and Tax Administration, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia. The representatives of the Ministry of Finance summarized the bills which the Committee accepted in principle by a majority of votes.

The sitting was chaired by the Committee Chairman, Zoran Krasic.