Chamber of Commerce of Serbia won Transparency Award

The Chamber of Commerce of Serbia has won the award for special contribution to affirmation of rights to free access to information of public significance and transparency in work for the second time, on the occasion of the International Right to Know Day. This year, the Chamber of Commerce won the award in the category of institutions on the level of whole republic.

"Through active representation of interests of entrepreneurs through clearly defined positions, with the aim of protecting and supporting local economy, over the last year, the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia has been firmly and clearly presenting opinions backed by the arguments from the real sector whose promoter and patron is the Chamber", it is stated in the Chamber’s announcement.

PKS is not a budget institution because it is financed from the membership fees of the companies and entrepreneurs in its structure, but the state has entrusted it with certain legal authorizations. Speaking of that and the problem of reduction of expenses of the government administration, the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, Miloš Bugarin, pointed out that the chamber system, including 16 regional chambers, two provincial chambers, and the Chamber of Commerce of Belgrade, had huge institutional, infrastructural and every other potential that can take over significant share of administrative works, which would not cost the national budget anything. That would be a significant help in rationalization of the government costs and expenditures, with the increased level of efficiency and quality of services.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Trustee for Information of Public Significance to Serbia, the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia, and the Coalition of NGOs for free access to information, with the support of the US Agency for International Development, one of its partners – the US Association of Lawyers, as well as the OSCE Mission in Serbia, grant the award to the organ of public authority that has been applying the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Significance in the most efficient way in the previous period.

"By granting these awards, the organizers contribute to celebration of the International Right to Know Day in order to institutionalize it in Serbia. This day, which is celebrated in 100 democratic countries all over the world, represents a great success of democratic citizenship, that is, organized tax payers", it is stated in the announcement.