Joly Dixon appointed Chairman of the Governing Board of the ITA The High Representative has appointed Mr Joly Dixon – the former chairman of the Indirect Tax Policy Commission (ITPC) and the former Chairman of the Interim Governing Board of the Indirect Tax Authority – as the first Chairman of the Governing Board of the Indirect Tax Authority. The ITA is responsible for Customs and for the introduction and operation of Value Added Tax (VAT). Its Governing Board comprises the three Ministers of Finance and three experts on Indirect Taxation, plus the Chairman. In a letter sent today to Prime Minister Adnan Terzic, informing the prime minister of the appointment, the High Representative noted that the European Commission has made the ITA reform process and the subsequent timely introduction of VAT a precondition for BiH entering Stability and Association Agreement negotiations for European Union (EU) accession. “Mr. Dixon’s vast experience within the EC and the EU makes him especially qualified to help steer BiH on the road to Europe in this key reform area,” the High Representative wrote. High Representative in Zagreb Today The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, is on a one-day visit to Zagreb today. At 12.00 o’clock he will hold his first meeting with the new Croatian Prime Minister, Ivo Sanader. The High Representative will then meet with President Stjepan Mesic early this afternoon. These meetings are the latest in a series that the High Representative believes are key to maintaining good relations between the International Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian authorities. Croatia is a strategic neighbour and the High Representative wants to make sure that the positive working relationship that was developed under the previous administration in Zagreb continues to grow. We expect that a statement detailing these meetings will be released from Zagreb this afternoon. Launch of “Mostar – One City” Campaign The High Representative’s Director of Communications and Chief Spokesperson, Julian Braithwaite, will tomorrow (Wednesday 21 January 2004) at 12.00 in the OHR in Sarajevo hold a press conference to mark the launch of the “Mostar – One City” Public Information Campaign. This Campaign’s objective is to support the process of the reunification of the city of Mostar, expaling this process to the citizens of Mostar. We will be issuing a Media Advisory on the press conference launching this campaign later today.
01/20/2004