UNMIK/PR/653
PRESS RELEASE- 09 Oct. 2001

IAC Discusses Steps to Start the Process of Issuing Driving Licenses

PRISTINA - The Interim Administrative Council (IAC) was today informed about steps being taken to start the process of issuing driving licenses in Kosovo when the draft regulation on Documents Permitting the Operation of Vehicles in Kosovo and Other Related Matters was presented to them.

In addition, IAC discussed two other draft regulations: on the Establishment of the Kosovo Financial Board and a Regime for Financial Reporting of Business Organisations and on amending UNMIK Regulation No. 2000/67 on the Approval of Kosovo Consolidated Budget and Authorizing Expenditure for the period 1 January to 31 December 2001. The members will give their comments on all three regulations by the end of the week.

Briefing IAC about the draft regulation dealing with driving licenses and related matters, head of the Department of Public Services Peter Schumann outlined the steps that have to be taken before driving licenses could be issued: training and certifying driving school operators, licensing driving schools run by the certified operators, certifying driving examiners, certifying a government testing and training school for driving instructors, certifying driving instructors, developing a system for the issuance of driving licenses and developing a system for keeping and retrieving records, including from old archives. "Kosovo driving licenses must meet European standards for these licenses to be accepted in Europe", he said.

Mr. Schumann said some of these steps were being implemented and the first certificates to the driving examiners would be issued on 12 October in Vushtri. The draft regulation also has appropriate provisions to resolve the problem of those who are holding expired driving licenses, issued by the FRY authorities in the past.

The draft regulation on the Establishment of the Kosovo Financial Board and a Regime for Financial Reporting of Business Organisations deals with the establishment of a Kosovo Financial Reporting Board, financial reporting by business organizations and certification of accountants and licensing of auditors.

The third regulation amending UNMIK Regulation No. 2000/67 on the Approval of Kosovo Consolidated Budget and Authorizing Expenditure for the period 1 January to 31 December 2001, relates to the mid-year review of the budget and the enhanced expenditure.

Acting SRSG Tom Koenigs presided over the meeting and briefed IAC about the UN Security Council meeting, attended by SRSG Hans Haekkerup, last week in New York. The Security Council had fully supported the efforts of UNMIK, Mr. Koenigs said and added that it had sent two very clear messages: that Kosovo Serbs must participate in the elections and that the provisional self-government, based on the Constitutional Framework, does not pre-judge the final status of Kosovo

The new COMKFOR General Marcel Valentin, attended IAC for the first time today and gave the security update.

IAC members were also briefed about the legal and structural changes in the field of education, including the new regulations being planned, by the head of the Department of Education, Science and Technology Michael Daxner. He assured them that there would be no parallel structures in this field, and there will be only one ministry of education in Kosovo.