Belgrade, September 8, 2001 - Employees in the Serbian Ministry of Trade and Tourism and especially employees in the Serbian Market Inspection bureau (RTI) have lodged strong protests against constant ungrounded and unproven accusations by DSS officials that "the present Serbian government's decrees provide leeway for cigarette smuggling and the authorities are not fighting the tobacco mafia."

The Serbian Market Inspection bureau (RTI) informed the public that in the past eight months, it performed 117,170 inspections, i.e. fully 660 inspections a day.

Our inspectors have brought 41,350 convictions, which resulted in a YUD127 million inflow to the republican budget. They levied 21,384 fines worth YUD23 million on the spot, while the value of seized goods totaled YUD152 million.

The total effect of work in the previous eight months is YUD280 million, which represents a great improvement in the efficiency of the ministry.

As a result of the work of the Serbian Ministry of Trade and Tourism, the Serbian Interior Ministry and the Serbian Public Revenues Service, 645 litres of oil derivatives, 1.5 million packs of cigarettes; 97 tons of coffee and 56,000 litres of various liquors have been confiscated so far.

We also want to remind the public that our colleague, market inspector Hasan Berberovoc, was physically attacked and severely injured in the line of duty.

Many of our colleagues, members of DSS, are doing their job honourably and we have no objection to their work. But we ask the "ones who criticize without argument or signature," where do they work, and what is their contribution to the well being of our citizens?