Citizens of North Mitrovica still have to go to Raska for their salaries and pensions

It has been six months since the Central Bank of Kosovo abolished payment transactions in dinars, and in North Mitrovica, as citizens told Kosovo Online, the situation is getting worse. Daily life has become more difficult, and the elderly and sick people are suffering the most, as they have to travel to the nearest branch in Central Serbia to withdraw their payments.

“We go to Raska, shop there, and that is how we manage. It has made our lives harder, of course. I need to go there even though I’m sick, and the emergency services have come to me. How is it not hard… it's extremely hard,” an older resident said.

Her fellow citizen agrees, adding that the “dinar has come to a dead stop.”

“It is difficult, they are planning to attack stores from September, and maybe even people, if they see there’s dinar in their pockets, exchange offices. Nothing has changed in six months, nothing for the better, only for the worse. It is hard to endure, nothing has changed for me and my family. The dinar has come to a dead stop. No one is mentioning talks with the Kosovo and Metohija director; we are waiting to see how far it will go,” he said.

In addition to the dinar ban, citizens are also troubled by shortages of certain products, which, due to the ban on Serbian goods in Kosovo, have not arrived for a year.

“It is difficult because we have to go to Raska to withdraw money. There’s a shortage of food, it is not good. We are waiting for this issue to be resolved,” a passerby said.
Another resident of North Mitrovica described the current situation as very poor and added that pensioners are suffering the most.

“A lot has changed, the situation is very bad, and payment transactions have been banned. It is very difficult for the dinar. Elderly people are at risk, especially those who have to go to Raska or Brnjak to withdraw their money. I don’t know who helps them get their money. I can’t tell you anything positive,” he said.