I am pleased to announce that the Government of Kosovo has today made a decision to establish the Administrative Office for north Mitrovica, MNAO. The establishment of the MNAO is in line with the Government of Kosovo’s commitments to the Comprehensive Settlement Proposal and our commitment to the process of decentralization.
The Kosovo Government currently provides some €4m a year for services to its citizens in north MItrovica. This includes salaries, maintenance bills for schools, the fire service, social welfare services, park maintenance, street lighting and cleaning. For some time, this has been done with money from the Kosovo Central Budget, disbursed by the United Nations Administration in Mitrovica.
This year we have celebrated the fourth anniversary of our independence. This year we have agreed with our international partners the aim of ending supervised independence. We are thus all witnessing Kosovo’s democracy maturing and we are taking fuller responsibility for all our citizens. Therefore Government decided that it was timely to assume greater responsibility in north Mitrovica as well. We know that the Government must do more to demonstrate to citizens in Mitrovica North that Kosovo is home to all its peoples. The establishment of the MNAO is one step to show our commitment to the development of a democratic and prosperous northern Kosovo.
We want to see that the funds that the Government of Kosovo provides to its citizens in the north are used to their benefit and to meet their needs. That is why we have decided to establish the MNAO. We will strive to offer better services with greater accountability and more infrastructure investment based on the priorities of citizens in Mitrovica North. We pledge an open and transparent administration and believe that citizens will truly start seeing improvements in their lives.
There are now seven Government offices in the north providing services such as Kosovo documentation, pension payments and salaries for public sector workers. Over 8,000 applications for Kosovo documentation have been received in the past 18 months in north Mitrovica alone, and every month the Government pays pensions and salaries to almost 12,000 citizens in northern Kosovo. Again, let me emphasize we will continue to do so.
Deputy PM Petrovic will give you further details about the Office, but as my final point I want to assure the community in north Mitrovica that my Government remains committed to serving you to the best of our ability. I also want to assure our citizens there that Government remains committed to talk to them and listen to their concerns, and remains committed to improve their lives.
Remarks of Deputy Prime Minister Petrovic
Press Conference for MNAO Establishment
May 23, 2012
The establishment of the Mitrovica North Administrative Office represents the Government of Kosovo’s commitment to bringing services closer to all of its citizens. We expect that the MNAO will improve the quality of services delivered to citizens in Mitrovica North, in a transparent and accountable way, and will provide citizens with the opportunity to participate in the decision making process by voicing the concerns and needs of their neighborhood to the office.
We are establishing the MNAO because we want to see citizens of Mitrovica North fully involved in local governance. We want Mitrovica North to advance economically and have better infrastructure. We want funds that go to the north to benefit the people who live there and local people decide for what purpose those funds are going to be used.
The MNAO will have seven departments to oversee the administration of small grants, services, and infrastructure projects. We plan to hire 56 employees in the beginning and to expand the staff to 80 employees soon in the future. The MNAO will be headed by a Principal Executive Officer who will have many of the same responsibilities as a mayor. The Principal Executive Officer will be selected through a competitive, transparent hiring process organized by the Ministry of Local Government Administration and appointed by the Government of Kosovo in coordination with the ICO. The Deputy Principal Executive Officer and seven sectorial drectors will be elected to help to implements duties dedicated to MNAO.
With this decision, the Government of Kosovo also takes more responsibility for how it is investing its resources in the north. Therefore, we have decided that the budget we have contributed for the operation of the UNMIK Administration in Mitrovica (UAM) will no longer be directed to the UAM but rather to the MNAO for investment in Mitrovica North. UAM employees are welcome to apply for positions with the MNAO.
The creation of the MNAO is a logical next step in the Government’s commitment to northern Kosovo. Citizens in the north already take advantage of services provided through the Citizens’ Service Center, the tax office, and the MPT. NGOs and businesses have benefited from small grants funded by the Government. We want to see the north prosper and for citizens in the north to participate in their own governance. We want to see that people in the North Mitrovica are living in economically developed environment and democratic society.
Speech by International Civilian Representative, Peter Faith, at the opening of the North Mitrovica Administrative Office, Wednesday 23 May, 2012
Peter Faith: As you know, the mandate of my organization and of the International Civilian Representative is ending and this indicates the conclusion of the supervision of independence, so we are working actively with the Government to conclude the final steps toward full implementation of the Ahtisaari Plan.
Therefore, I am very satisfied that today, the Government took a decision to found this administrative office for North Mitrovica.
I would like to congratulate the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Petrovic on the important step they have undertaken. This is an important step because the countries which have recognized Kosovo and which support it, have always believed that Kosovo must continue as a multi-ethnic democracy, in which all communities have a place, and Kosovo is the homeland of all communities who live and work here.
We support the efforts of the Government in developing local democracy and improving economic development and protecting everyone’s traditional manner of life.
Allow me also to say that the preparation of this step, and the founding of the Administrative Office, has taken some time, because although it is a technical office, it requires adequate preparation and as you heard from the Deputy Prime Minister, more work is required with regard to employment and making the Office functional as soon as possible.
I would like to assure you, Mr. Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister that the ICO in the months that come will work closely with you to assure that this Administrative Office is functional as quickly as possible.
In the end, allow me to emphasize what I have said, that this is an important step, but it is of a technical character, and must not be politicized, and must not be a reason for those who do not agree, to cause violence.
We are working toward an easy transition and it will end with an arrangement which will fully support the needs of citizens in the north, and we believe that with this new structure, the Government and Ministries will be in a position, through this office and the municipal authorities, to offer Mitrovica the best civic services, and better services than they have had until now.
Besides this, the Office will secure other infrastructural work, which will be supported by Kosovo’s traditional donors, such as the USA and USAID, and other friendly donors.
Thank you very much!
Last modified: July 31, 2022