Andric Rakic: Until there is an agreement on how citizens will receive money from Serbia, it is not rational to start punitive measures

The program manager of the NGO Social Initiative, Milica Andric Rakic, says that even though the transitional period for the implementation of the Central Bank of Kosovo's regulation abolishing the use of the dinar has expired, it is not logical for anything to change or for punitive measures to begin until an agreement is reached on how money for citizens receiving income from Serbia will reach their accounts in Kosovo.

She emphasizes that the transitional period was introduced before the Kosovo government acknowledged that there was an issue that needed negotiation.

"That period was intended for an information campaign directed towards people to open accounts in banks registered in Kosovo. Since then, the Kosovo side has acknowledged that the problem is somewhat bigger, and negotiations are ongoing on how money will reach citizens' bank accounts. Considering that, it is not logical for anything to change now until an agreement is reached on how these transactions will be carried out. It would be rational not to take any measures at the moment, even though it has been announced that this period has ended. It wouldn't be normal for punitive measures to start now because we also have acknowledgement from the Kosovo government that there must be agreements on how money will be transferred. Citizens have not been given a solution," Andric Rakic says for Kosovo Online.

However, she reminds that many things that have happened in the past were not logical, which is why she adds that she cannot say with certainty that nothing will change.

"I wouldn't say that there has been an announcement that something will be done regarding the expiration of the transitional period, it has just been stated that it has ended. It is possible that warnings may be issued in stores, advising people to accept only euros, but when it comes to punitive measures, I'm not sure it is wise from the perspective of the Kosovo authorities to do that until they come up with a solution for people to receive money from Serbia into their accounts in Kosovo. But, I must be cautious because there have been quite escalatory moves, especially considering that the development of the situation around the Council of Europe could take an unexpected turn for the Kosovo authorities. In that case, we can expect some sort of retaliatory moves concerning the Serbian community," Andric Rakic says.

As something that could happen, she mentions inspections with warnings, but she says she is not sure that any authority, let alone the authorities in Pristina, have the capacity to control all trade and hospitality establishments.

"It is possible that certain actions will be initiated as a form of pressure, but I believe they should be limited to warnings or continuing the information campaign towards citizens. As for the branches of the Serbian Post or Postal Savings Bank, there is a possibility of their closure or seizure of their property, but this falls into the topic of closing temporary institutions, which the international community reacted strongly against, particularly the US, and similar action could be expected by the Pristina authorities now if they do something like that, so they may wait with such moves after all," Andric Rakic says.