Most to receive 6,000 dinars, but will anyone get 144,000? How money from the Share Fund will be distributed
Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- All adult citizens of Serbia will receive 6,000 Serbian dinars from the Share Fund on September 22.
- Those who own seven free shares received through privatization will also receive 6,000 dinars.
- Some shareholders with multiple packages of shares could receive up to 144,000 dinars.
Serbia is set to distribute 6,000 Serbian dinars (approximately $55) to all adult citizens on September 22 from the Share Fund. This payout will also extend to individuals who hold seven free shares obtained through the privatization process. President Aleksandar Vuฤiฤ announced that the law will be amended to facilitate this distribution, as the original 2007-2008 legislation only recognized those who were adults at that time. This means that the heirs of approximately 1.3 million deceased individuals who were entitled to shares will also receive the payment, following inheritance procedures. Consequently, some individuals may receive the 6,000 dinar payment multiple times, potentially totaling 12,000 or even 18,000 dinars. The total number of payments is expected to reach 7,668,000. However, the distribution raises questions for those who have acquired additional shares through means other than the initial free distribution, such as gift agreements, as these shares are not traded on the stock exchange. Publicly available lists of the largest shareholders reveal individuals holding significantly more than seven shares, with some possessing 35, 42, 49, 63, 77, 84, or even 168 shares. These holdings represent multiple "packages" of seven shares. Based on the 6,000 dinar value per package, the largest individual shareholder, with 24 packages (168 shares), could potentially receive up to 144,000 dinars. Another shareholder with 84 shares (12 packages) could receive 72,000 dinars. The complete shareholder registry for the Share Fund, like those for other privatized companies such as Telekom, NIS, and Aerodrom, is not publicly accessible.
With the payment from the Share Fund, we are proceeding on September 22 โ we must change the law in the meantime because someone made a very stupid law there in 2007, 2008. Let me explain in one word: It was written then that everyone who was an adult until 2007 has the right, and now we have to pay for people who have died in the meantime โ to their heirs, and there are about 1.3 million of them, in accordance with the inheritance procedure.
Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.