Serbian lawyers, cabbies again win delay of tax controls

Feb 11, 2010, 18:24 GMT

Belgrade - The Serbian government said Thursday that it has delayed the introduction of fiscal controls for taxi drivers and lawyers by six months.

Trade Minister Slobodan Milosavljevic told reporters before the cabinet decision that he proposed the delay to 'study the effects' of the planned measures.

It was the second delay of the controls, which include mandatory cash registers in vehicles and lawyers offices.

Lawyers went on a three-day strike against the measures before the first delay in November, causing a massive backlog in courts as most cases could not be heard.

Lawyers insist that issuing receipts with the specification of their services could jeopardize the privacy of their clients.

Cab drivers demonstrated against fiscal controls in December, when they wreaked havoc in traffic in Belgrade and most Serbian cities.

Despite winning a delay of the measure first from January 1 to March 1 and now until August 31, taxi drivers want it postponed until 2013 and threatened another nationwide traffic blockade on February 23.

Both lawyers and taxi drivers pay a fixed monthly tax, which leaves the door open to evasion.

Cash registers show exactly which service was done and how much was charged, as well as how much tax must be paid for it.

Almost all other businesses, from newspaper stands to bakeries and property agents are legally bound to operate cash registers and issue receipts or face stiff fines.