TI Serbia says it is a first step, not victory

“Solomon’s solution”, on the bases of which the government of Serbia published on its website parts of the contract for a concession to build the highway to Pozega, and also enabled selective insights into the rest of the documentation, is only one of the things that has to be done on the way to strengthening citizens' trust in the authorities and in creating the rule of law.

The fact that five months had to pass and enormous media pressure had to be created in order to force executive authorities to make this step is amazing. Even the current decision on limiting access to the remaining annexes of the contract, which is probably the result of a maximum compromise with the concessionaires, isn't entirely based on Serbian law.

According to Transparency Serbia, true and not partial victory for the public would occur if the publishing of all contracts on the disposal of public property (such as concessions, privatisation, selling of property, and procurement) would become common practice, and if the taking over of contractual obligations opposite to domestic regulations would be severely sanctioned.