Inspectors of the Municipality of North Mitrovica closed the “Official Gazette” facility

Inspectors of the Municipality of North Mitrovica today closed the facility of the “Official Gazette,” which supplies students enrolled in the Serbian education system with textbooks. Inspectors told employees that the premises belong to the Municipality and that they do not have a permit to operate.

According to some workers present and residents of nearby buildings who spoke to Kosovo Online, municipal inspectors told the employees that they must contact the Municipality of North Mitrovica and reach an agreement with them about continuing operations in the facility. They were told that they must register in the Kosovo system and pay rent for the premises where the “Official Gazette” has so far been located.

The “Official Gazette” provides services of procuring and distributing school textbooks for elementary and secondary schools, thereby assisting the Serbian population so that citizens do not have to travel to central Serbia to obtain schoolbooks for their children.

Inside the premises were books, notebooks, picture books, and other materials for children’s educational activities—from preschoolers to primary and secondary school students.

This facility supplied the Serbian population with school supplies both in the municipalities of northern Kosovo and in enclaves, and it was the only place where materials aligned with the curriculum of the Serbian education system could be obtained.