UNMIK/PR/59

PRESS RELEASE

1 October 1999

UNMIK STARTS SECOND ROUND OF STIPEND PAYMENTS

PRISTINA- The second round of payments of stipends to civil servants and public sector employees in Kosovo has started on 29 September 1999.  The 50,000 recipients of stipend payments from all over Kosovo include municipal civil servants, firemen, customs officers, public utility employees, teachers and other staff of the education and culture sector. 

Stipends to be paid in this second round will amount to a total of DM 7,68 Million.  Payments are being funded through donor contributions made to the UNMIK Trust Fund. 

Due to the large number of recipients to be paid stipends in this second round, a distribution schedule has been worked out to effect payments over a three week period.  Payments to fire department workers started on 29 September and will be completed on 1 October.  From 1 October to 11 October payments will be made to municipal civil servants, customs officers, judicial staff and public utilities employees.  Payments to teachers and other staff of the education and culture sector will be made between 11 and 21 October.

Payments in this second round will be effected through the Payment Bureau of Kosovo.  This will ensure a more efficient and more convenient distribution of stipends to recipients. 

The first round of payments of stipends began in August in response to the absence of any salary structure.  Current planning envisages the stipend payments to continue until the end of December 1999 when a proper civil service payroll system is expected to be in place as part of the regular budget of Kosovo.