Belgrade – The payment of minimum wages for about 1.1 million employees in 237,000 companies in Serbia, which have sought this form of state support, begins today and the money will be paid into dedicated accounts of those companies.

The payment is effected in three installments – in May, June and July of this year.

The Minister of Finance, Sinisa Mali, said that the state was allocating RSD 33 billion for the first payment, while the total amount would be three times higher, because it would be paid for three minimum wages per employee, and would amount to over RSD 90 billion.

Minister Mali said that 237,000 employers had asked for state financial assistance in the form of payment of three minimum wages in the total amount of 750 euros (about 90,000 dinars), and that more than 1,100,000 employees had applied.

The average minimum wage in Serbia from January this year is RSD 30,022, or the minimum hourly wage from January 1 is RSD 172.54 (net).

Entrepreneurs, flat-rate entrepreneurs, their colleagues with the same status – farmers, legal entities that are classified as micro, small and medium-sized companies, have the right to state financial assistance .

When it comes to large legal entities, they are entitled to non-refundable funds in the amount of 50 percent of the basic minimum net salary for March 2020, for the employees whose work was terminated after the introduction of the state of emergency. The payment made into their accounts will also be in the amount of 50 percent of the minimum salary for the month of March, as well as for June and July. They are obliged to open a dedicated account into which the state will pay them the money.

An enterprise loses the right to use fiscal benefits and direct benefits if, in the period from the introduction of the state of emergency until the expiration of three months from the last payment of direct benefits, it reduces the number of employees by more than 10 percent.

Source: “Tanjug” news agency, Jugmedia and Coordination Body