Inspection in Serbia orders SBB to remove promo material, state MTS' remain

SBB was given a 24-hour deadline to remove the material from public space or face misdemeanour charges and pay 150,000 dinars (1,275 euros).

The company said the move favoured the state-owned Telekom Serbia, whose material remained. The inspectors did not explain the action, just said they followed reports, the local Juzne Vesti website said.

SBB said it honoured the order and removed the posters, but its competitor, state Telkom's MTS promo material, was still there.

The communal inspection did not answer if the removal order was issued to other companies but said the decision on SBB's promo material was taken because the company did not put them up in line with the rule on advertising in Nis.

The inspection adds it acts on reports from people, companies and institutions without exception.

SBB said the move was not surprising and that it was a continuation of persecution against the company and favouritism of the state Telekom. It also said it proved the law did not apply equally to everyone.

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"In the last years, we witnessed obstructions to SBB growing and spreading in different ways. We are prevented from introducing land telecommunication services in many cities like Vranje in the south, Loznica in the west, Indjija in the north, and from widening our network which for the infrastructure exists in the cities and towns like Subotica in the north.

"Also, the Government has been preventing our work at different levels. It lists our customers employed in public companies or unequally implement laws on us as a private company compared to the state-owned Telekom," SBB said.

The company added it submitted a report against MTS to the Nis communal inspection since the competitor's advertising material was not removed, but the inspection had not answered whether it would act upon it.