Serbian government closes customs terminal in Presevo

Through a communique for opinion, Serbia's Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Customs Board, has indicated it will close the customs terminal in Presevo, while the same will be transferred to the town of Vranje, about 40km from Presevo. All of this, always according to the communiqué, due to the decline in import and export and difficulties for funding this institution in Presevo.

Besnik Sadiku, chief of finance service in the Presevo municipality, has deemed the closure of the customs terminal harmful, Kosovo public television reports.

The closure of the customs terminal has sparked reactions of civil society as well. Besim Shaban, from the non-governmental organisation “Development Agency -- Preshev” -- has criticised the Belgrade government for failing to prepare the economic development of the Presevo municipality in which more than 95 % Albanians live.

From Presevo, the Court first left, then briefly closed several banks leaving only one in the entire city, then the tax administration was stripped of competencies and eventually removed from Customs Terminal as well. Under such circumstances, Presevo, from one centre, is being transformed into a local community of competencies dependent on the centre in Vranje, which is about forty kilometers from Presevo, the connoisseurs of economic issues find.