The Post and Komercijalna Bank in Serbian communities in Kosovo without dinars for several days

The Post and NLB Komercijalna Bank in Serbian communities in Kosovo have been without dinars for several days, as money hasn't arrived since September 24th due to the closure of the Jarinje administrative crossing. Citizens with whom the Kosovo Online team spoke express that they are in panic and have no money to cover their basic needs.

The Post in Gracanica unofficially confirms that money hasn't been arriving since September 24th because the firm Henderson, which transfers money from Jarinje to Serbian communities per the contract, can only access money at that crossing.

They also mentioned that they are only making cash withdrawals in cases where a citizen makes a deposit, and people are coming in who have no money to buy medicines.

The Kosovo Online team confirmed that there was a large queue in front of the Komercijalna Bank.

"They say there are no dinars, only foreign currency," a resident of Donja Brnjica says.

Miodrag Simic claims that there has been panic in Ugljare, the village he came from to withdraw money, because people are running out of money.

"The Komercijalna Bank has had no money for several days, and the Post in Ugljare also doesn't have any money. I've just come from Ugljare, and they say here they offer some foreign currency. Whether they will provide it or not, I don't know. In the whole village, people can't withdraw their pensions, they don't have money to buy anything; they take things from the stores on a tab. It's quite hard; I don't know why they're doing this, why they don't release the money," Simic said.

Snezana Bursac emphasizes that people are doing their best to manage the situation.

"We haven't had dinars for about ten days, and the situation is such that sometimes there's not even euros. So, you manage as best you can and know," Bursac said.

The same shortage of dinars is happening in the Komercijalna Bank and the Post in Strpce.

Residents of Strpce are finding various ways to manage, and they consider it a form of pressure on them.

"We haven't had money for several days; we can't buy anything. They sometimes give us goods on a tab. There's none in the Post either; my wife couldn't withdraw her pension," one of them said.

An elderly lady confirmed his story.

"It's no use that I went there if there's no money, son. What can we do? You can't escape your own skin," she said.

Another resident of the place confirmed that he couldn't withdraw money.

"I couldn't withdraw anything; there is no money. We are finding ways, I am sending my daughter to Vranje to withdraw. It's the worst kind of pressure when you cannot withdraw your own money. This is a loss for Kosovo's trade; a lot of money arrives here from Serbia," this gentleman told us.

It is important to note that since June 14th, Serbian goods, medicines, medical supplies, Serbian newspapers, and shipments from Serbia have not been arriving in Kosovo.