Milicevic: Abolishing payment transactions in Serbian dinars is yet another in a series of problematic decisions

The Executive Director of the NGO 'Aktiv', Miodrag Milicevic, tells Kosovo Online that the abolition of payment transactions in Serbian dinars announced by the Central Bank of Kosovo is another in a series of problematic decisions. He emphasizes that this issue must be on the agenda of the international community to find a solution adapted to the daily needs of citizens and institutions.

"Unfortunately, it's another in a series of quite problematic decisions from the perspective of the Serbian community, which will undoubtedly lead to a series of problems in everyday functioning, not only for budgetary institutions but primarily for ordinary citizens. At this moment, we are dealing with facts that the Central Bank of Kosovo has already communicated to the public through the media, but there is a lack of various details, without specifying the elements or conditions under which this CBK decision will be implemented", he said.

What Milicevic finds particularly concerning is that no alternative is offered, and there is no clear indication of how payment transactions will be conducted in the future.

"Facts, legal regulations, and possibilities that the Republic of Serbia legally prescribes in Serbia are completely ignored. From that perspective, citizens are certainly worried at this moment, and this is what should now be on the agenda of the international community, to find some kind of solution, as Lajcak also said, primarily adapted to the daily needs of both citizens and budgetary institutions that operate in areas with a Serb-majority population", Milicevic emphasized.

Our interlocutor believes that the solution should have already been presented.

"If such decisions are being made, and it was known to all of us during December that the CBK had made a decision that is already disclosed, that decision or model, by which all future transactions and financing of the Serbian community in Kosovo and others related to the system of the Republic of Serbia, should have been presented to anticipate numerous problems that may arise if this model of future financing is not presented. I return to the role of the international community, with the understanding that relations between Pristina and Belgrade, especially in the dialogue process, show no visible progress, except for agreements on documents and an energy agreement. This is a matter of special concern for ordinary citizens who, at this moment, absolutely have no additional information but are rightly concerned about the further functioning, income, and earnings from the budget of the Republic of Serbia", Milicevic said.