The Ombudsperson has published today the Report with Recommendations regarding conditioning imposed by the municipalities for payment of property taxes when registration of motorized vehicles.

The Report is based on the complaints admitted by the Ombudsperson regarding these conditionings, applied by all Kosovo municipalities, in compliance with Administrative Instruction No. 07/2011 of the Ministry of Finance (MF), of 13 July 2011.

The Ombudsperson considers that conditioning imposed by the municipalities, through which the citizens are forced to pay property taxes, so that they can obtain the evidence for payment of municipal tax needed for motor car registration, is not a lawful way of property tax collection. The Ombudsperson distinguishes that property tax collection is vital for functioning of municipalities but considers that the method used for payment of such taxes ought to be lawful and proportional, in accordance with the law.

Accordingly, the Ombudsperson has recommended the Ministry of Local Government Administration (MLGA) to alter its official stand, by issuing a new attitude concluding that conditioning imposed by municipalities for offering services to citizens through payment of property tax, lacks legal base and is opposite with the human rights and as such cannot be applied. Thus the Ombudsperson has recommended the Ministry of Finance to amend provisions of the Administrative Instruction No. 07/2011 related to citizens’ conditioning for payment of property tax.

Report with Recommendations in its full form has been delivered today to the responsible authorities and has been distributed to media as well as is published in OI official web page.