ReliefWeb

Developments today, 25 January 2000 - Updated 3:30 p.m. EST
Civil administration

Co-heads for three more administrative departments named: The Interim Administrative Council (IAC) today named co-heads for three more administrative departments in Kosovo. The three co-heads are Dr. Pleura Sejdiu, a medical doctor and member of the PPDK for the Department of Health and Social Security; Mr. Hydajet Hyseni of the LBD for the Department of Non-resident's affairs; and Mr. Gjergi Rapi, a sociologist from the LDB, for the Department of Utilities.
The co-heads will share the responsibility of running the departments with counterparts appointed by UNMIK under the new Joint Interim Administrative Structure which allows Kosovars to share responsibility with the UN mission in governing the territory until elections are held. UNMIK said the IAC decided today that all co-heads for the 19 administrative departments should be named by the end of this month, when at least four departments will be fully operational. These are Education & Science, Health & Social Security, Local Administration and Budget & Finance.

The IAC also finalized the list of the expanded Kosovo Transitional Council, which will be made public once all the candidates have been notified.

Serbs plan to join Interim Administrative Council within 12 days: Serb community representatives plan to join the Interim Administrative Council (IAC) in 10 to 12 days, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, Head of UNMIK, told journalists today in Pristina. He was responding to questions from the media, following today's meeting of the IAC in which the subject of Serb participation on the Council was discussed. One of the four Kosovar seats in the IAC is reserved for a Serb, who has yet to be named. Dr. Kouchner said that the representatives of the Serb National Council told him that they planned to join IAC in 10 to 12 days and had indicated a wish to vote on the subject of joining the IAC in a meeting in Gracanica yesterday. However, representatives of the Serb community in Mitrovica had been unable to attend due to heavy snowfall.

Eonomic reconstruction

New bank to provide basic services: The Micro Enterprise Bank (MEB), the first private commercial bank to be licensed by the Banking and Payments Authority of Kosovo (BPK), which opened officially on 24 January, will provide basic banking services to consumers, including account management and international money transfers, as well as micro-credits to local, small businesses. In a statement issued today, UNMIK said MEB plans to open branch offices in Prizren and Peja. To date, the MEB is the only bank that has applied for and received a licence to operate. Organizations or individuals currently operating banking facilities in Kosovo have until 15 February to submit their applications to the Bank Supervisory and Regulatory Department or cease operations. Yesterday, the Board of Governors of BPK met for the second time and discussed plans to computerize banking and payment functions in Kosovo's prospective banks.

For further information, contact the Spokesman's Office: tel (212) 963-7161/2; fax (212) 963-7055.