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Prishtina, 17 March 2004 – According to different press reports, the Chief of UNMIK Harri Holkeri has promulgated a decree by which the customs law has come into effect, as of 1st of March. The Director of Kosovo Customs Service Paul Acda told journalists that official Belgrade has no reason to react negatively to this law, because it changes nothing in the existing procedures of the exchange of goods through the boundary crossings between Serbia and Kosovo. “Serbia and Montenegro have already changed their customs regulations, and Kosovo is still implementing the 1992 customs law and system of tariffs of former Yugoslavia, which is unsustainable,” said Acda, who added that UNMIK had to bring those in line with the EU and WTO standards. According to him, the new law will enable a more efficient fight against corruption, cigarette smuggling, as well as smuggling of other goods, which can only be in the best interest of all sides. According to the decrees of this law, a 20% tax is paid on all the goods coming from central Serbia and entering Kosovo, 15% of which go to the budget of the province and the remaining 5% to the Serbian budget.
ECIKS