Last week, the citizens of the northern part of Kosovo were not able to buy the newspapers on time as dealer’s vehicle was stopped at Jarinje by Kosovo Customs.
Kosovo Customs enabled them to continue the movement only after they have paid tax, although by the Kosovo laws books and newspapers are not subject to taxes.
Bashkim Arifi, Regional Director of Kosovo Customs to TV Most reporter could not give any valid reason why the vehicle was stopped with the newspapers and said that he “is not yet sure what is it all about.”
Distribution of the press is not the only problem. And medicines for pharmacies in the north, because of unresolved procedural issues in the crossing, do not arrive in sufficient quantities and patients suffer.
“We do not have the correct information, neither from Belgrade nor from Pristina. We had some continuity, and after a delay of about a month now things are slowly normalizing, and soon we expect a proper supply,” said Dragan Rakic, director of pharmacy in Mitrovica.
Minister without portfolio in the Government of the Republic of Serbia in charge of Kosovo and Metohija, Aleksandar Vulin during the last visit to Mitrovica announced that soon will be exactly specified list of drugs that are not subject to customs, because, as he says, he knows what medications are and what are the additional medicinal means.
“These are things that will be dealt with on the fly, but there must be good will from both sides and it should be understood that it cannot happen that there are no medications,” said Vulin.
The solution to these problems will be found surely when the agreed in Brussels between Belgrade and Pristina is crystallized, and when signatories adhere to all of this, until then – the citizens are suffering.
