Podgorica, (Montena-business) – The tax on turnover of computers and additional equipment for citizens is 24% again from the beginning of this year, even though last year which was the year of informatics culture, this tax was only 3%. The companies that sell computers and the Secretary for Development concluded that the advantage should be prolonged at least until the introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT), which will be in use from 30 June. The Government’s regulation that defined that the tax reduction was valid from the middle of last year, so the citizens could have used this advantage only for 6 months. Director of Datronic, Dragan Aleksic said to Montena-business that the computer sellers had sent a request to the Government for prolonging the previous regulation by 6 months. “The regulation should be prolonged, at least until the time when the Law on VAT, which will regulate this sphere differently, comes into use. This prolongation would stimulate citizens to buy computers at lower prices by using credits in commercial banks” Aleksic said. According to him, cancelling of this advantage, which the citizens could use while buying computers, may lead to “a black trade”. “Instead of paying turnover tax at the rate of 24% and not 3%, the citizens simply will use the possibility to buy computers at lower prices by cash outside Montenegro” claims Aleksic. Technical director of Tagor, Andrija Ivanovic said that citizens who are interested in buying computers, complains about the tax of 24%. “The holidays are gone and it is already obvious that the turnover of computers is reduced, although we still sell them to the companies that couldn’t use this tax advantage any way. Of course, reduced buying of computers by citizens is caused by the increased tax on computers” claims Ivanovic. He added that using of the Regulation should be prolonged and that there are some announcements that the Government soon will discuss it. Assistant of Secretary for Development, Boro Maric also agreed with the request of companies about the tax reduction in next half of this year. “A positive opinion of the Secretariat for Development about prolongation of tax advantage for citizens by the time when the Law on VAT is introduced, was already sent to the Ministry of Finance and to the Government’s Commissions and we hope that the Government will accept it” said Maric. af/bd