More than a month has passed since the new CBK regulation came into force, which essentially bans the use of the Serbian dinar in Kosovo and the import of cash money from Serbia proper for the payment of wages, pensions, and other benefits.
The regulation caused serious consequences – KoSSev’s interlocutors, residents of North Mitrovica, emphasize. The younger generations travel to Raska to withdraw their money, while pensioners prefer to stand in long queues in front of the Poštanska Štedionica Bank.
For some citizens, the solution to the new situation lies in an agreement, which would allow them to continue receiving their income, in any currency: „Let them give us whatever they want, as long as we have something to live on.“ Others, however, „love the dinar and can’t live without it“, and expect the „dinar to return“.
As was the norm with the previous Vox pop polls carried out by KoSSev portal, younger people avoided the cameras, while only a few middle-aged and elderly citizens were willing to answer our journalist’s questions.
All of them emphasized that the CBK regulation has had serious consequences on citizens, primarily on the poorer strata of society, pensioners and the disabled.
„Our voice matters? Nobody asks us about anything. The situation is clear, it has been clear to us who have lived here for a long time,“ said one go KoSSev interlocutors.
„Things are bad, there is no money. It’s terrible, I don’t know how long this will last,“ another citizen warned.
„They left us with nothing. I am a pensioner, I am 73 years old, what can I do, should I hang myself? I have worked for so many years and what now, who will help me“ – a retiree from North Mitrovica stressed.
One of the interlocutors interpreted the CBK regulation as another in a line of unilateral decisions that negatively affect the Kosovo Serbian community.
„We are left at the mercy of Pristina, they do what they like and interpret their so-called democracy in a way that suits them,“ he said.
Another local stressed that „pensioners can’t buy their medicine now“.
The younger generations go to Raska, the elderly wait in lines
As a result of the lack or insufficient amount of money in the branches of the only bank that now operates with dinars in Kosovo – Poštanska Štedionica, citizens are forced to go to Serbia proper to withdraw their money.
„I can go to Raska, but there are many people who cannot afford it. They either cannot go due to health issues, and there are queues at the crossings, you have to wait for two or three hours. What kind of freedom of movement is that,“ said one interlocutor.
And while younger people decide to travel to Serbia proper, the majority of older citizens said in the KoSSev Vox Pop that, at least for now, this is not an option for them.
They withdraw money at Poštanska Štedionica, where there is a daily limit and where money can only be withdrawn inside the bank itself, because the ATMs are not operational.
„We – pensioners wait in lines. They say they give out 10,000 each,“ said one of the pensioners.
He says that he does not plan to travel to Serbia proper to withdraw money – „we live here, we are waiting for our pension here“.
Those who also receive a pension from the Kosovo system, say that they use euros to buy necessities.
What is the solution?
„It is not a solution for us to be harassed like this. We love the dinar, we can’t do without the dinar,“ said one of the interlocutors.
Citizens expect some kind of agreement, in order to continue receiving their income.
„What is this policy leading to, maybe someone will come to their senses, we are on the verge of poverty,“ says one of the pensioners.
The majority of interlocutors expect „the dinar to return“.
„The solution is to return the dinar. It will happen if Kurti gives in, he’s in charge. It will come back, it’ll have to,“ said one of the interlocutors.
On the other hand, her fellow citizen says that Kurti and Vučić „are not in charge of anything“.
Some North Mitrovica locals asked the international community to declare that the Brussels Agreement has „failed“ or to stick to what was agreed, that is, to form the ASM which, as per the agreement, defines the financing and money transfer from Belgrade.
„All of them together – should not be hypocrites, neither Lajčak, nor Escobar, the whole company and these hypocritical ambassadors who warn their child – ‘hey, be careful, you have to do better, don’t be so rough so that they say that we (Serbs) are undesirable as a community in Kosovo. So that we can decide what we’re going to do, whether we’re going to protest and leave or stick to the letter of the law they passed. We did not take part in the adoption of the Brussels Agreement or any other, to be told now that something has or has not been fulfilled. They adopted it, they turned a deaf ear,“ underlined one of the interlocutors.
Part of the citizens do not want the euro, while some are willing to accept any currency
We asked the interlocutors of KoSSev whether they would be willing to receive their income in another currency, namely the euro. For some citizens, this is not a problem, but there are also those who prefer the dinar.
„We don’t like euros, we prefer our dinar,“ says one of the interlocutors, but she also says that she is not sure that will be the case.
„The dinar is our main means of payment and this is still Serbia,“ says one of the pensioners, who, on the other hand, admits that he receives Kosovan pension as well.
„I receive one hundred euros, but everything I have to buy, when I go to the pharmacy, they all ask for dinars, and the euro counts for 20% less, and that’s the point,“ he said.
On the other hand, his fellow citizen says – „let them give us whatever they want, as long as it is regular and we have something to live on“.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
