Even though MPs of North Mitrovica and Leposavić/Leposaviq municipalities have adopted budgets and forwarded them to relevant ministries, they haven’t been approved yet, because they are apparently not harmonized with the recommendations of the Ministry of Finance.

Four municipalities in northern Kosovo last year adopted budgets for 2015 and forwarded them to Pristina for clearance, however Ministry for Local Government Administration did not approve them because they are not harmonized with the recommendations of the Ministry of Finance. Municipalities in the north have actually requested much bigger budgets from the ones envisaged by the Kosovo budget.

Deputy Minister for Local Government Administration in the Kosovo government Bajram Gecaj said to Radio Kosovo that Ministry did its part of the job and that instructions have been forwarded to municipalities in regard to budgets. Gecaj expects solution to be found until the deadline, which is 28 February.

The Mayor of North Mitrovica Goran Rakic said to Radio Kosovo 2, that local leadership won’t amend budget which was already adopted by the municipal assembly and stressed that the official stand point of the Ministry for Local Government Administration is still pending.

On the other side, the Mayor of Leposavić/Leposaviq Dragan Jablanovic argues that municipalities have proposed their budgets in coordination with the Ministry for Local Government Administration, and that problem is not in distribution of funds but in financing education and health employees in northern municipalities.

Jablanovic reminded that adoption of budgets in municipalities in northern Kosovo has been delayed due to institutional blockade in Pristina.