18 The NPM Methodology envisages that special attention should be paid to the protection of persons deprived of their liberty, staff working in the detention institutions, as well as to all other persons who had contact with the NPM, who provided the information about treatment of persons deprived of liberty or indicated to the ill-treatment acts. The Serbian NPM pays special attention to the prevention of retaliation in a way to protect all sources of information, i.e. data on persons who provided these information. In case their identity is disclosed, NPM then plays its preventive activities in a way that it then pays subsequent visits to those persons and monitors their status, i.e. the way staff members working in those detention institutions treat them. Besides, all responsible persons are informed that any retaliatory action undertaken against persons who cooperated with the NPM constitutes the most severe form of ill-treatment. The NPM Methodology envisages intensive activities with the aim of fighting against impunity of torture, or any other form of ill-treatment. All competent authorities are informed about these acts, i.e. activities that constitute torture, i.e. ill-treatment, along with the expectation that all available measures and activities falling under their competence would be undertaken so as to determine the accountability of the staff members. The Serbian NPM pays special attention to all activities of the competent authorities with the aim of fighting against impunity of torture, and establishing both individual and objective responsibility. 4.2. Material conditions and financial independence of the NPM For the purpose of fulfilment of the NPM tasks in line with the mandate set under the Law on the Ratification of the Optional Protocol, it is necessary to secure required funds for work complying with its financial independence. The total of RSD 7,510,543.00 (around EUR 62,587.00) were allocated from the total budget adopted for the Protector of the Citizens for the year of 2015 for the NPM activities. In the course of 2015, the NPM staff members used two offices within the building of the Protector of the Citizens, as well as a van for transport of team members to the institutions. The NPM staff members had all necessary office equipment as well as all other necessary equipment and material (computers, printers, laptops, photocopy machines, distance meters and humidity meters, and similar). 4.3. Special NPM unit and its functional independency By the end of 2015, the National Assembly of the RS adopted the Decision on Consent to the Rulebook on the Internal Organization and Job Classification within the Secretariat of the Protector of the Citizens no. 48-709/14 of 22 October 2014, which envisages establishment of a special unit in charge of the NPM affairs - the NPM Secretariat. In line with the provisions contained in the Rulebook, the NPM Secretariat does not form a part of the Secretariat of the Protector of the Citizens and it is directly responsible for its work to the Protector of the Citizens, i.e., Deputy Protector of the Citizens in charge of the NPM affairs.