Collection of RTV tax until the end of this year still through telecom operators

Collection of RTV tax through the largest telecom companies in BiH will continue until the end of 2015, announced today the Management Board of RTV Federation of BiH, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

- Hrvatski telekom Mostar and BH Telecom have informed us that they have made final decisions according to which they will continue to collect the RTV tax in accordance with the previous model, while the Management of RTRS has also already reached an identical business agreement with the telecom company M:tel, whereby the three largest and most important telecom operators in BiH will continue to collect the RTV tax until the end of this year as before - it is stated in the press release.

The Management Board of RTV Federation of BiH thanked these companies for the high level of social responsibility towards Public Services in BiH, and thus for their persistence in further building the business environment and democratic society in BiH.

- What unfortunately worries us all is the fact that a considerable number of political representatives, especially in the state government, did not want to solve this problem at all, consciously risking and directly creating the financial collapse of Public Services of BiH. On the other hand, apart from declarative concern, a smaller part of the representatives of the international community also did not show the expected determination on this issue, even though they are especially aware that independent, politically and financially independent public services are one of the main conditions for Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession to the European Union - it was emphasized.

- For this reason, the Management of RTV Federation of BiH and RTRS had no other choice but to solve the problem through independent business activities and agreements with the three largest and most important telecom operators in BiH, and despite all retrograde political and other forces that wished for Public Services, and thus RTV Federation of BiH, to financially and in every way fail or to be placed under the direct supervision of political centers of power. Given that in recent days we have witnessed strikes and announcements of strikes at the state Public Service BHRT, we are especially glad that this problem has now been at least temporarily resolved, and that this will at least slightly mitigate the negative trends to which our colleagues employed at BHRT are exposed - it is stated in the press release of the Management Board of RTV Federation of BiH.

Otherwise, the contracts of public broadcasters with telecom operators expire on April 26.