Following recent news about the fate of the "Southern Stream" pipeline, the public has apparently developed a keen interest in information about the progress in the implementation of this project thus far.
From late September 2014 to 12 November 2014, the Commissioner conducted a review of compliance of information booklets with the Law and the Instructions for Preparation and Publishing of Information Booklets passed by the Commissioner pursuant to the Law.
The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection ordered the Ministry of Mining and Energy to send a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding signed on 18 December 2013 between public enterprise Elektroprivreda Srbije and AMPLEX EMIRATES LLC to a journalist of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.
In connection with that ruling and also taking into account the fact that he has recently passed several similar rulings, the Commissioner reminded that the right of the public to information on operations of public authorities and public enterprises, as well as on management of public funds is guaranteed by the Constitution and the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance and that exercise of this right can be limited only in exceptional cases, for justified reasons set by the law.
The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection emphasized it was necessary to amend without delay certain provisions of the Bylaw on Tax Identification Number, which stipulate that tax identification number of a natural person –taxpayer is his/her unique personal identification number, and requested from the Ministry to do so.
On the basis of citizens' reports, the Commissioner found that when complying with the above norms of the Bylaw and Articles 36, paragraph 10 of the Law on Tax Procedure and Tax Administration, which imply publishing of certain data on the Internet, local tax administration authorities posted and are posting many unique personal identification numbers on their official websites.
