Northern Kosovo entrepreneurs confer with EULEX

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA Representatives of the northern Kosovo business community on Thursday met with an official of the EULEX customs service. They discussed the problems they are facing on integrated crossing Jarinje, where Pristina's customs officers are preventing import of excise goods from central Serbia. Northern Kosovo entrepreneurs confer with EULEX One of the businessmen from northern Kosovo, Slavisa Milentijevic, told Tanjug that the EULEX representative informed them that representatives of Belgrade and Pristina "are discussing technical details concerning integrated crossing management and that more details about the agreement would be released on Friday". Milentijevic once more pointed to the problems arising from "Kosovo customs officers on integrated crossing Jarinje are not allowing them to import excise goods and are redirecting them to Merdare instead". He added that entrepreneurs are also avoiding import of non-excise goods because it is also sent to customs clearance checkpoint in southern, ethnic Albanian-controlled part of Kosovska Mitrovica although VAT for the goods was previously paid in central Serbia. He underscored that entrepreneurs from northern Kosovo do not wish to go to Merdare from Jarinje because they do not have the licence plates issued by the interim Kosovo government which makes their trip unsafe. Milentijevic said that a joint session of four northern Kosovo municipalities will be held in Leposavic on Friday afternoon on the initiative of the local business community, during which officials will discuss the situation that arose after the beginning of the implementation of the integrated border management at Jarinje. The entrepreneurs called on head of the Belgrade negotiating team in the technical dialogue with Pristina Dejan Pavicevic to explain why Kosovo customs officer at Jarinje keep demanding that goods going to northern Kosovo should be subject to customs clearance. During the meeting in Leposavic on Wednesday, they demanded that the conclusion the Serbian government adopted at the session held on December 6 should be respected, according to which there will be no customs clearance or collection of any other duties for the goods going to northern Kosovo at administrative crossings Jarinje and Brnjak. Tanjug

Northern Kosovo entrepreneurs confer with EULEX

One of the businessmen from northern Kosovo, Slaviša Milentijević, told Tanjug that the EULEX representative informed them that representatives of Belgrade and Priština "are discussing technical details concerning integrated crossing management and that more details about the agreement would be released on Friday".

Milentijević once more pointed to the problems arising from "Kosovo customs officers on integrated crossing Jarinje are not allowing them to import excise goods and are redirecting them to Merdare instead".

He added that entrepreneurs are also avoiding import of non-excise goods because it is also sent to customs clearance checkpoint in southern, ethnic Albanian-controlled part of Kosovska Mitrovica although VAT for the goods was previously paid in central Serbia.

He underscored that entrepreneurs from northern Kosovo do not wish to go to Merdare from Jarinje because they do not have the licence plates issued by the interim Kosovo government which makes their trip unsafe.

Milentijević said that a joint session of four northern Kosovo municipalities will be held in Leposavić on Friday afternoon on the initiative of the local business community, during which officials will discuss the situation that arose after the beginning of the implementation of the integrated border management at Jarinje.

The entrepreneurs called on head of the Belgrade negotiating team in the technical dialogue with Pristina Dejan Pavićević to explain why Kosovo customs officer at Jarinje keep demanding that goods going to northern Kosovo should be subject to customs clearance.

During the meeting in Leposavić on Wednesday, they demanded that the conclusion the Serbian government adopted at the session held on December 6 should be respected, according to which there will be no customs clearance or collection of any other duties for the goods going to northern Kosovo at administrative crossings Jarinje and Brnjak.