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Povodom osamdeset godina od osnivanja Privilegovane agrarne

banke - trinaesti deo

NACIONALIZACIJA PRIVILEGOVANE

AGRARNE BANKE POSLE DRUGOG

SVETSKOG RATA

Rezime

Pod okupacijom, sa rasparčavanjem državne teritorije Jugoslavije i njenog monetarnog i finansijskog prostora, Privilegovana agrarna banka je bila razbijena na više samostalnih ustanova. Neposredno posle rata, ova specijalizovana institucija za poljoprivredni kredit povratila je svoj predratni formalno pravni status. Međutim, njeno kratkotrajno poratno poslovanje neće imati karakter povratka na pređašnje stanje. Za to su postojali brojni razlozi. Prvo, dokumentacija u sedištu Banke u Beogradu je izgorela za vreme rata, pa nije bilo valjanih dokaza o stanju njenih bilansa. Drugo, rekonstrukcija ovih bilansa prvenstveno je zavisila od rekonstrukcije portfelja predratnih zemljoradničkih dugova koje je bilo nemoguće dokumentovati na pouzdan način. Treće, u toku priprema za uvođenje centralno planske privrede u Jugoslaviji, Banka je u preimenovana u Zadružnu i poljoprivrednu banku, nacionalizovana je i na taj način izmenila vlasničku strukturu i metode upravljanja. Konačno, prestala je da postoji tako što je fuzionisana sa Narodnom bankom FNRJ. Portfelj predratnih zemljoradničkih dugova tada je preuzela Državna investiciona banka. Pitanje ovih dugova nije nikada do kraja rešeno jer nije bilo objektivnih uslova da se šire primeni Zakon o njihovoj konačnoj likvidaciji, donet u novembru 1945. godine.

Ključne reči: Poljoprivredna i zemljoradnička banka, nacionalizacija, konačna likvidacija zemljoradničkih dugova

JEL klasifikacija: G21, N24, Q14

Prof. dr Dragana GnjatovićMegatrend univerzitet Beograd

dgnjatovic@megatrend.edu.rs

originalni naučni rad

UDK 336.717.061 (497.11) (091)

Rad primljen: 01.12.2011.

Odobren za štampu: 14.12.2011.

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Summary

Under the occupation and with the dismembering of the sovereign Yugoslav territory and its monetary and financial realm, the Privileged Agrarian Bank found itself broken down into several independent institutions. Immediately following the end of war, this institution, specialised in agrarian crediting, regained its pre-war formal legal status. Its short-term post-war function, however, was not to regain the character of its previous status. There were many reasons for this. Firstly, the documentation kept at the headquarters of the Bank in Belgrade, perished in the bombing fire during the war, hence the valid evidence on its balance sheet status was missing. Secondly, reconstruction of these balance sheets primarily depended on the reconstruction of the pre-war agrarian debt portfolio, which was impossible to substantiate with any valid documents or in any reliable manner. Thirdly, in the process of preparations for the introduction of a centrally planned economy in Yugoslavia, the Bank was renamed into the Cooperative and Agrarian Bank, and to that end was nationalised thus changing its ownership structure and the manner of governance. The Bank finally ceased to exist when it merged with the National Bank of the FNRJ (Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia - FPRY). Portfolio of the pre-war agrarian debts was transferred to the care and auspices of the State Investment Bank. Hence the topic of these debts never came to its ultimate conclusion as the objective grounds were absent for any broader implementation of the Law prescribing for their final liquidation, passed in November 1945.

Key words: Agricultural and agrarian bank, nationalisation, final liquidation of agrarian debts

JEL Classification: G21, N24, Q14

Prof Dragana Gnjatović PhDMegatrend University Belgradedgnjatovic@megatrend.edu.rs

THE PRIVILEGED AGRARIAN BANK NATIONALISED AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR

original scientific paper

UDC 336.717.061 (497.11) (091)

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of The Privileged Agrarian Bank - part thirteen

Paper received: 01.12.2011

Approved for publishing: 14.12.2011

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Privilegovana agrarna banka za vreme Drugog svetskog rata

Drugi svetski rat razorno je delovao na monetarni i bankarski sistem Kraljevine Jugoslavije. Nakon što su meseca aprila 1941. godine okupirali zemlju, Nemci su razbili jedinstven monetarni prostor kao i velike, jake državne i privatne banake koje su poslovale na teritoriji cele zemlje. Bilo je stvoreno sedam monetarnih područja, a na svakom od njih funkcionisao je zaseban novčani i bankarski sistem.

Rasparčavanjem državne teritorije, pojedina područja bila su pripojena okupatorskim zemljama: Nemačkoj, Italiji, Mađarskoj, Bugarskoj i Albaniji; stvorena je nova kvislinška Nezavisna Država Hrvatska; u delu Srbije bila je zavedena vojna okupacija pod komandom nemačkog vojnog zapovednika. Narodna banka Kraljevine Jugoslavije stavljena je u postupak likvidacije. Na području vojnog zapovednika za Srbiju i u Nezavisnoj Državi Hrvatskoj stvorene su nove emisione ustanove: Srpska narodna banka i Hrvatska državna banka. Emisionu delatnost na ostalim okupiranim područjima preuzele su centralne banke okupatorskih zemalja kojima su odnosna područja bila pripojena. Tako su stvorena monetarna područja: srpskog dinara, hrvatske kune, nemačke rajhsmarke, bugarskog leva, mađarske penge, italijanske lire i albanskog leka (franka) [M. Ugričić, 91-94].

U sklopu opštih mera reorganizacije bankarskog sistema na području vojnog zapovednika za Srbiju, Privilegovana agrarna banka pala je pod udar odredaba Naredbe o privremenom redu bankarskog poslovanja i novčanog saobraćaja od 25. maja 1941. godine [List uredaba, 7, 1941]. Na osnovu ove naredbe, centrala Privilegovane agrarne banke u Beogradu kao i njene filijale u Sarajevu, Zagebu i Ljubljani postale su zasebne bankarske institucije. Sličnu sudbinu doživele su i sve ostale državne i privatne banke čija se delatnost u mirnodopskom periodu prostirala na teritoriji čitave Jugoslavije. Takođe, na osnovu pomenute naredbe, bili su blokirani

ulozi na štednju, tekući računi i drugi depoziti u svim bankarskim institucijama, tako da je i rad Privilegovane agrarne banke bio privremeno obustavljen. S obzirom na to da je sredstva sa ovih depozita bilo moguće koristiti samo na osnovu specijalnih dozvola i samo u relativno malim iznosima, zatečen bankovni kapital je de facto bio konfiskovan.

Po objavljivanju Uredbe o regulisanju poslovanja banaka i štedionica 4. novembra 1941. godine [Službene novine, 121, 1941], na području vojnog zapovednika za Srbiju nastavila je sa radom samo četvrtina banaka. Na osnovu ove uredbe, došlo je do likvidacije velikog broja banaka i do koncentracije bankarskog kapitala. Bilo je likvidirano 140 od 232 zatečene banke. Od preostale 92 banke, dozvole za rad dobilo je njih 58, dok su 34 bile pretvorene u druga preduzeća. Takođe, osnovana je Direkcija za nadzor nad bankama koja je imala zadatak da strogo kontroliše banke kojima je bio odobren rad i u tom smislu je preuzela ingerencije koje, po pravilu, pripadaju centralnoj emisionoj ustanovi, odnosno samim bankarskim institucijama. Umesto Srpske narodne banke, Direkcija je bila ta koja je davala i oduzimala dozvole za bavljenje kreditnim poslovima i utvrđivala visinu kamatne stope. Umesto da to čine bankarske institucije, Direkcija je izdavala naređenja o načinu plasmana štednih uloga i o visini bankarske provizije.

Kontroli Direkcije za nadzor nad bankama bila je podvrgnuta i Privilegovana agrarna banka. U nadležnosti Direkcije bila je i kontrola naplate

potraživanja Privilegovane agrarne banke po osnovu

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The Privileged Agrarian Bank during the Second World War

The Second World War had its tremendous detrimental effects on the monetary and the banking systems of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After having occupied the country in April 1941, Germans broke down the single monetary realm, and all of the major and powerful state-owned and private banks that were operating in the entire territory of the country. Seven monetary regions were formed, and in each one of them a special monetary and banking system operated.

With the dismembering of the sovereign state territory, some of the areas were annexed to their respective occupying countries: to Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Albania; a new Quisling Independent State of Croatia was established; in one part of Serbia, military occupation was imposed under the control of the German Military Commander. National Bank of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was placed in the receivership. In the area of the Military Commander for Serbia, and in the Independent State of Croatia, new issuing institutions were formed: Serbian National Bank, and the Croat National Bank. Issuing function in the other occupied territories was entrusted to the central banks of the occupying countries to which the respective areas were annexed. Thus the following monetary areas were created with their respective currencies: the zone of the Serbian dinar, the zone of the Croat kuna, German Reich’s mark, Bulgarian lev, Hungarian penga, Italian lira, and the Albanian lek (frank) [M. Ugricic, 91-94].

Within the framework of global measures aimed at the reorganisation of the banking system in the territory of the Military Commander for Serbia, the Privileged Agrarian Bank fell under the blows of provisions prescribed under the Decree on the temporary operation of the banking system and of the monetary transfer function, of 25 May 1941 [List of Decrees, 7, 1941]. Under this Decree, the head office of the Privileged Agrarian Bank in Belgrade and its branch offices in Sarajevo, Zagreb, and Ljubljana, were transformed into independent banking institutions. Similar fate was encountered also by all the other state-owned and private banks

that have, during their peace-time operations, covered the territory of the entire Yugoslavia. In addition, and also under the provisions of the above mentioned Decree, savings deposits were blocked, as well as current accounts and other deposits in all the banking institutions, so that the work of the Privileged Agrarian Bank was temporarily suspended. In view of the fact that the funds from these deposits could be drawn only with special permits and in relatively small amounts, the banking capital present on the said accounts was de facto confiscated.

With the promulgation of the Decree on regulation of banking and savings banks operations, of 4 November 1941 [Official Gazette, 121, 1941], in the area of the Military Commander for Serbia, only one fourth of the banks continued with their work. Under this Decree, a large number of banks were liquidated, leading to the concentration of the banking capital. Some 140 banks were liquidated, out of the total number of the 232 then-existing banks. Among the remaining 92 banks, operating licenses were granted to 58, while 34 of the banks were converted into other types of enterprises. In addition, the Directorate for Banking Supervision was established, with the task to implement strict control of banks that were licensed for operation, and to that end had taken over the competencies, which as a rule, belong to the central issuing institution of a country, i.e. to the authority of the banking institutions themselves. Instead of the Serbian National Bank, the Directorate was the authority issuing and revoking lending operating licenses, and determining the interest rates. Instead of allowing banking institutions to proceed in this matter, the Directorate was giving orders on the manner of placement of savings deposits and on the amounts of banking commissions that were to be charged.

The control function of the Directorate for Banking Supervision also extended to the Privileged Agrarian Bank. Within the competencies of the Directorate was also the control over collection of claims due to the Privileged Agrarian Bank, on the grounds of the agrarian debts dating from before the Second World War. However, the debt collection operations in this matter were de facto an impossible task. Namely, as the archives located

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zemljoradničkih dugova koji su nastali pre Drugog svetskog rata. Međutim, posao naplate ovih potražvanja bio je de facto neizvodljiv. Naime, kako je arhiva koja se nalazila u sedištu Privilegovane agrarne banke izgorela u nemačkom bombardovanju Beograda 1941. godine, za dalju naplatu zemljoradničkih dugova po osnovu Uredbe o likvidaciji zemljoradničkih dugova iz 1936. godine u okupiranom istočnom delu zemlje: Srbiji, Crnoj Gori i Makedoniji nije bilo objektivnih mogućnosti.

Bankarstvo na teritoriji Nezavisne Države Hrvatske pretrpelo je neznatne organizacione izmene. Gotovo jedina veća novina bila je u tome što su se predratna sedišta ekspozitura državnih i velikih privatnih banaka izdvojila u posebne bankarske institucije. Predratne filijale Privilegovane agrarne banke u Sarajevu i Zagrebu, kao zasebne bankarske institucije, nastavile su sa naplatom starih zemljoradničkih dugova po Uredbi o likvidaciji zemljoradničkih dugova iz 1936. godine [AJ, F. 155, VII]. Dugovi zemljoradnika bili su pretvoreni u kune, po paritetu dinara i kune 1:1 Tokom godina rata, otplata ovih dugova realno je sve manje opterećivala zemljoradnike. Naime, na području Nezavisne Države Hrvatske vladala je visoka inflacija koja se manifestovala kroz stalno

obezvređivane kune. Pred kraj rata, u uslovima hiperinflacije, kuna je bila toliko obezvređna da se izgubila iz prometa [M. Ugručić, 173].

Zadružna i poljoprivredna banka kao pravni sledbenik Privilegovane agrarne banke

Odmah po oslobođenju istočnog dela Jugoslavije, u jesen 1944. godine, Nacionalni komitet oslobođenja Jugoslavije (NKOJ) proglasio je ništavnim sve zakone, uredbe i naredbe, donete za vreme okupacije. Odmah je bila ukinuta Srpska narodna banka; kada je u proleće 1945. godine oslobođen zapadni deo zemlje, ukinuta je i Hrvatska državna banka. Bio je obnovljen rad Narodne banke Jugoslavije i svih privilegovanih i državnih banaka. Tako je i Privilegovana agrarna banka nastavila sa radom, sa istom nadležnošću koju je imala do rata. Njena centrala u Beogradu je ponovo preuzela filijale u Sarajevu, Zagrebu i Ljubljani, „koje su pod okupacijom živele samostalnim i odvojenim životom“ [M. Ugričić, 284].

Do jeseni 1945. godine, bila je dovršena monetarna reforma, tako što je obavljena zamena svih okupacijskih valuta dinarom Demokratske Federativne Jugoslavije. Tada su se stvorili uslovi da i privatne akcionarske banke koje su obnovile rad po predratnom organizacionom principu nastave sa poslovanjem. Međutim, iako je formalno bio proglašen povratak na predratno organizaciono ustrojstvo, većina banaka praktično nije ni stigla da samostalno nastavi svoj rad. Ovo stoga što je čitavom bankarskom sektoru u zemlji predstojala nacionalizacija, u sklopu uvođenja centralno planske privrede. Ukidanju privatnog bankarstva prethodio je prelazni period u kojem su banke poslovale isključivo na osnovu privremenih odluka Povereništva finansija NKOJ.

Prema Odluci Poverenika finansija NKOJ, br. VII, 70, od 28. novembra 1944. godine Privilegovana agrarna banka je, zajedno sa Narodnom bankom, Državnom hipotekarnom bankom, Poštanskom štedionicom i Zanatskom bankom dobila zadataka da nastavi sa pasivnim i aktivnim poslovima. Bilo je predviđeno neograničeno primanje

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at the head offices of he Privileged Agrarian Bank had been destroyed in the German bombing of the City of Belgrade in 1941, there were no objective grounds and possibilities for further collection of agrarian debts, as prescribed under the Decree on liquidation of agrarian debts of 1936, in the occupied eastern parts of the country: in Serbia, Montenegro, and in Macedonia.

Banking business in the territory of the Independent State of Croatia suffered only some minor organisational changes. Almost the only relevant novelty was in setting-up of the former, pre-war seats of the branch offices of the state-owned and of the major private banks, into separate banking institutions. Those pre-war branch offices of the Privileged Agrarian Bank in Sarajevo and in Zagreb, now with the status of independent banking institutions, continued with the collection of the old agrarian debts as prescribed under the Decree on liquidation of agrarian debts of 1936 [AJ, F. 155, VII]. Debts of the farming population were converted into kuna currency, at an exchange rate of 1 dinar equalling 1 kuna (1 : 1). During the war years, repayment of these debts in reality did not burden much the farming population. Namely, in the territory of the Independent State of Croatia, a very high inflation prevailed, manifested through a constant devaluation of the kuna currency. By the end of the war, in the climate of hyperinflation, kuna was so much devalued that it disappeared from the market [M. Ugricic, 173].

Cooperative and Agrarian Bank as a legal successor of the Privileged Agrarian Bank

Immediately upon the liberation of the eastern parts of Yugoslavia, in the autumn of 1944, National Committee for Liberation of Yugoslavia (NKOJ - NCLY) proclaimed nil and void all the laws, decrees and orders passed during the time of occupation. Hence, the Serbian National Bank was also promptly abolished; when in the spring of 1945 the western part of the country was liberated, the Croat National Bank was also abolished. The work of the National Bank of Yugoslavia was reinstated and the operations of all the

privileged and the state-owned banks as well. Thus the Privileged Agrarian Bank continued its work, with the same competencies that it enjoyed before the war. Its head office in Belgrade took over again the branch offices in Sarajevo, Zagreb, and Ljubljana, “which were during the occupation, living their independent and separate lives” [M. Ugricic, 284].

By the autumn of 1945, monetary reform was finalised in the way that conversion was made of all occupational currencies into the national dinar currency of the new Democratic Federal Yugoslavia. Climate was created also for the private shareholding banks to continue with their work, having resumed their function along the pre-war organisational principle. However, although there was a formal proclamation of the return to the pre-war organisational set-up, the majority of banks practically did not have sufficient time to start independently their work. The reason for this was that the entire banking sector in the country was awaiting nationalisation, within the framework of introduction to the centrally planned economy of the country. Suspension of private banking was preceded by a transitional period in which the banks operated exclusively on the basis of the interim decisions passed by the NKOJ Financial Commissariat.

Under the provisions of the Decision of the NKOJ Financial Commissioner, No. VII, 70, passed on 28 November 1944, the Privileged Agrarian Bank, together with the National Bank, the State Mortgage Bank, the Postal Savings Bank, and the Guild Union Bank, was entrusted with the task to continue with its passive and active operations. What it prescribed were an unlimited acceptance of savings deposits and current account deposits, and an unlimited withdrowal of these deposits and savings deposits. With respect to the savings deposits made prior or during the time of war, if they were not treated as hostile assets, they could be drawn up to the approved limit of 10,000 DFJ dinars per month.

On 8 February 1945, an Interim Board of Directors was appointed to head the Privileged Agrarian Bank, under the Decision of the NKOJ Financial Commissioner, No. 1, 290. Interim Board in all the banks was appointed and dismissed by the NKOJ Financial Commissioner. Interim

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uloga na štednju i depozita na tekuće račune i neograničeno raspolaganje ovim ulozima i depozitima. Kada su bili u pitanju ulozi na štednju koji su nastali pre ili za vreme rata, ukoliko nisu bili tretirani kao neprijateljska imovina, odobravano je raspolaganje do 10.000 dinara DFJ mesečno.

Na čelo Privilegovane agrarne banke 8. februara 1945. godine bio je postavljen Privremeni upravni odbor, prema Odluci poverenika finansija NKOJ, br. I, 290. Privremenu upravu u svim bankama imenovao je i razrešavao povernik finansija NKOJ. Privremeni upravni odbor sačinjavali su upravnik i po jedan član iz svake federalne jedinice. Za sve odluke ovog Odbora bila je neophodna saglasnost Povereništva finansija NKOJ. Takođe, sprovođenje odluka Privremenog upravnog odbora bilo je pod nadzorom delegata kojeg je postavljao poverenik finansija NKOJ.

Prelazni period, od obnavljanja rada banaka u Jugoslaviji po oslobođenju zemlje do korenite reforme bankarskog sistema trajao je relativno kratko. Reforma je započela nacionalizacijom privatnog bankarstva već 9. novembra 1945. godine, kada je bio obnarodovan Zakon o uređenju i delovanju kreditnog sistema [Službeni list DFJ, 87, 1945]. Tada su predratne privatne privilegovane bankarske institucije proglašene saveznim, državnim bankama.

Prema Zakonu o uređenju i delovanju kreditnog sistema, bankarski sektor u zemlji trebalo je da čine državna, zadružna i privatna bankarska i osiguravajuća preduzeća. Privilegovana agrarna banka je postala jedna od saveznih kreditnih ustanova, u okviru državnog kreditnog sektora, pri čemu je preimenovana u Zadružnu i poljoprivrednu banku. Tako se nacionalizovana Privilegovana agrarna banka našla, pod imenom Zadružne i poljoprivredne banke, u državnom sektoru saveznih banaka, zajedno sa Narodnom bankom, Poštanskom štedionicom, Državnom investicionom bankom (nekadašnjom Državnom hipotekarnom bankom), novosnovanom Industrijskom bankom, Zanatskom bankom i Državnim zavodom za osiguranje i reosiguranje. Prema pomenutom zakonu, Zadružna i poljoprivredna banka dobila je zadatak da snabdeva kratkoročnim kreditom zemljoradničke i gradske zadruge.

Na osnovu Zakona o uređenju i delovanju kreditnog sistema, pored saveznih banaka, sektor državnog bankarstva sačinjavale su i novoosnovane zemaljske (republičke) privredne banke i lokalne (gradske i mesne) štedionice. Zadružni bankarski sektor je obuhvatao zadruge i njihove saveze. Kada je reč o privatnom bankarskom sektoru, pomenutim zakonom je bilo precizirano samo to da ministar finansija treba da izvrši reviziju dozvola za rad privatnih banaka i privatnih osiguravajućih preduzeća [Finansijski sistem FNR Jugoslavije, 75-79].

Sa formiranjem državnog bankarskog sektora, prestala je potreba da saveznim bankarskim institucijama upravljaju privremeni upravni odbori. Rešenjem ministra finansija Savezne vlade br. VII, 9841 od 27. novembra 1945. godine, stavljena je van snage Odluka poverenika finansija NKOJ, br. I, 290, od 8. februara 1945. godine o privremenom upravljanju saveznim bankama. Od tada su ovim bankama počeli da upravljaju savezni organi vlasti.

Dana 25. septembra 1946. godine, nepunih godinu dana posle donošenja Zakona o uređenju i delovanju kreditnog sistema, vlada FNRJ donela je Uredbu o spajanju kreditnih preduzeća iz državnog sektora. Fuzija državnih banaka je bila deo projekta uvođenja centralno planske privrede i imala je za cilj koncentraciju kratkoročnih bankarskih sredstava u Narodnoj banci FNRJ. Sve savezne i zemaljske (republičke) banke, osim Državne investicione banke, bile su spojene sa Narodnom bankom, na koju je bio prenet njihov delokrug rada. Fuzijom državnih banaka sa Narodnom bankom tada jedino nisu bile obuhvaćene gradske i mesne štedionice. Najpre su sa Narodnom bankom FNRJ bile spojene sve zemaljske (republičke) banke 20. oktobra 1946.; zatim je bila fuzionisana Industrijska banka Jugoslavije 1. novembra 1946, a za njom i Poštanska štedionica 1. decembra 1946; Zanatska banka je spojena sa Narodnom bankom 15. decembra 1946. i, konačno, Zadružna i poljoprivredna banka 15. marta 1947. godine.

Nacionalizacija privatnog bankarstva u Jugoslaviji dovršena je Zakonom o nacionalizaciji privatnih privrednih preduzeća od 6. decembra 1946. godine [Službeni list FNRJ, 98, 1946]. Na osnovu ovog zakona, bio je nacionalizovan i likvidiran čitav privatni bankarski sektor u

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Board of Directors consisted of the director and one member from every federal unit. For all the decisions of this Board, the approval of the NKOJ Financial Commissariat was necessary. In addition, implementation of the decisions made by the Interim Board of Directors was under the supervision of the delegate, appointed by the NKOJ Financial Commissioner.

The transitional period, from the reinstatement of banking operations in Yugoslavia after the liberation of the country, and up to the profound reform of the banking system, lasted for a rather short period of time. The reform started with the nationalisation of the private banking as early as November 1945, when the Law on regulation and operation of the crediting system was promulgated [Official Gazette of the DFJ, 87, 1945]. On that occasion, the pre-war private privileged banking institutions were proclaimed federal, state-owned banks.

According to the provisions of the Law on regulation and operation of the crediting system, the banking sector in the country was to be composed of the state-owned, cooperative, and private banking and insurance companies. The Privileged Agrarian Bank became one of the federal crediting institutions, within the scope of the state-owned crediting sector, and it was renamed into the Cooperative and Agrarian Bank. Thus the nationalised Privileged Agrarian Bank found itself, under the name of the Cooperative and Agrarian Bank, within the scope of the state-owned sector of federal banks, together with the National Bank, the Postal Savings Bank, State Investment Bank (the former State Mortgage Bank), the newly founded Industrial Bank, Guilds Union Bank, and the State Institute for Insurance and Reinsurance. According to the above mentioned Law, the Cooperative and Agrarian Bank was given the task to supply short-term crediting for agrarian and municipal cooperatives.

Under the Law on regulation and operation of the crediting systems, in addition to the federal banks, the state-owned banking sector was composed also of the newly-established land (republican) commercial banks and local (metropolitan and communal) savings banks. Cooperative

banking sector comprised cooperatives and their alliances. When speaking of the private banking sector, the above stated Law specified only that the Minister of Finance shall review operating licenses of the private banks and private insurance companies [Financial system of the FPR (FNR) of Yugoslavia, 75-79].

With the establishment of the state-owned banking sector, the need was no longer present for the federal banking institutions to be governed and managed by the interim boards of directors. The Decree of the Minister of Finance of the Federal Government, No VII, 9841 of 27 November 1945, prescribed that the Decision of the NKOJ Financial Commissioner, No. I, 290 of 8 February 1945, on the interim management of federal banks shall be rendered nil and void. From that time onwards, these banks were governed and managed by the federal authorities.

On 25 September 1946, barely one year after the adoption of the Law on regulation and operation of the crediting system, Government of the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia (FPRY / FNRJ) passed the Decree on the merger of crediting companies in the state-owned sector. The fusion of the state-owned banks was a part of the project aimed at the introduction of the centrally planned economy, and had the objective of channelling all the short-term banking resourced into the National Bank of the

FPRY (FNRJ). All

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zemlji. Posle spajanja saveznih i republičkih banaka sa Narodnom bankom i nacionalnizacije i likvidacije privatnih banaka, bankarski sektor u Jugoslaviji činile su: Narodna banka u kojoj je bilo koncentrisano kratkoročno kreditiranje, Državna investiciona banka koja je bila zadužena za dugoročno kreditiranje i niz lokalnih štedionica.

Sudbina hipotekarnog portfelja predratnih zemljoradničkih dugova

Na osnovu člana 13. Zakona o uređenju i delovanju kreditnog sistema od 26. oktobra 1945. godine, Zadružna i poljoprivredna banka je postala pravni sledbenik Privilegovane agrarne banke. Ona se pojavljivala u svim nedovršenim pravnim i finansijskim poslovima Privilegovane agrarne banke „u njeno ime i kao njena zakonska i pravna poslednica“ [AJ, F. 155, II]. Glavni nedovršeni posao Privilegovane agrarne banke bila je naplata potraživanja od zemljoradnika po osnovu Uredbe o likvidaciji zemljoradničkih dugova iz 1936. godine.

Da bi Zadružna i poljoprivredna banka mogla da nastavi sa naplatom potraživanja po osnovu predratnih zemljoradničkih dugova, trebalo je da raspolaže validnim kreditnim ispravama. Međutim, dokumentacija o neisplaćenim predratnim dugovima zemljoradnika iz Srbije, Crne Gore i Makedonije izgorela je u požaru koji je izbio prilikom bombradovanja sedišta Privilegovane agrarne banke u Beogradu, 6. aprila 1941. godine. Zbog toga je Zadružnoj i poljoprivrednoj banci predstojao posao rekonstrukcije dela hipotekarnog portfelja predratnih zemljoradčkih dugova. Kada se radilo o dokumentaciji koja se za vreme rata zatekla u filijalama Privilegovane agrarne banke u zapadnom delu zemlje, trebalo je tek utvrditi ko je od dužnika uopšte sposoban da nastavi da otplaćuje dugove. Naime, trebalo je osloboditi od plaćanja dugova sve one zemljoradnike koji su stradali u ratu ili je njihova nepokretna imovina bila uništena.

Prema Zakonu o konačnoj likvidaciji zemljoradničkih dugova koji je objavljen 16. novembra

1945. godine [Službeni list DFJ, 89, 1945], bilo je predviđeno potpuno brisanje dugova svim zemljoradnicima dužnicima koji su učestvovali, ili su oni odnosno njihovi članovi porodice poginuli u narodno oslobodilačkoj borbi. Takođe, trebalo je potpuno ili delimično brisati dugove svih zemljoradnika koji su pretrpeli materijalnu štetu. Oni zemljoradnici koji su morali da nastave da otplaćuju dugove, trebalo je da ih konačno izmire u roku od šest meseci.

Podatke koji su bili potrebni za utvrđivanje činjenica o tome da li zemljoradnici ispunjavaju uslove za otpis dugova prikupljala je Zadružna i poljoprivredna banka. U tu svrhu, bio je pripremljen upitnik koji je popunjavan za svaki pojedinačni slučaj. U upitniku su bila postavljena pitanja u skladu sa odredbama Zakonu o konačnoj likvidaciji zemljoradničkih dugova [AJ, F. 155, VIII]. A da li dužnik zaista ispunjava uslove za otpis duga, pomenuti zakon je predvideo da utvrde sreski i gradski (rejonski) narodni odbori koji su za taj posao oformili posebne tročlane komisije.

Na poziv mesnih i gradskih narodnih odbora, počeli su pojedinačno da se javljaju dužnici Privilegovane agrarne banke. U zapadnim krajevima zemlje u kojima su u filijalama Privilegovane agrarne banke bile sačuvane odgovarajće kreditne isprave, bilo je moguće rešavati pojedinačne molbe zemljoradnika. Međutim, u istočnom delu zemlje nije bilo uslova za ovakav način rada. Zbog toga je Zadružna i poljoprivredna banka dobila zadatak da rekonstruiše spiskove dužnika i njihovih neisplaćenih obaveza na osnovu potvrda koje su o predaji portfelja zemljoradničkih

dugova svojevremeno

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the federal and land (republican) banks, with the exception of the State Investment Bank, were merged with the National Bank, which took over their field of work. With the fusion of the state-owned banks with the National Bank, the only banks that remained outside of this scope were the metropolitan and the communal savings banks. Firstly, the National Bank of the FPRY (FNRJ) merged with all of the land (republican) banks on 20 October 1946; what was to follow was the fusion of the Industrial Bank of Yugoslavia, on 1 November 1946, and thereupon the Postal Savings Bank on 1 December 1946; The Guilds Union Bank was merged with the National Bank on 15 December 1946, and finally, the Cooperative and Agrarian Bank joined in on 15 March 1947.

Nationalisation of the private banking in Yugoslavia was completed through the Law on nationalisation of private commercial companies, of 6 December 1946 [Official Gazette of the FNRJ, 98, 1946]. Under the provisions of this Law, the entire private banking sector in the country was nationalised and liquidated. After the merger of federal and republican banks with the National Bank, and the nationalisation and liquidation of the private banks, the banking sector in Yugoslavia emerged as an entity composed of the following: of the National Bank holding the concentration of the short-term crediting funds, the State Investment Bank in charge of long-term crediting, and a series of local savings banks.

The ultimate outcome of the pre-war agrarian debt mortgage portfolio

In accordance with the provisions of Article 13 of the Law on regulation and operation of the crediting system, of 26 October 1945, the Cooperative and Agrarian Bank became the legal successor of the Privileged Agrarian Bank. It was to appear in all the unresolved legal and financial cases of the Privileged Agrarian Bank “acting in its name and on its behalf, as its official and legal successor” [AJ, F. 155, II]. The main job left undone of the Privileged Agrarian Bank was collection of the claims from the farming population, in accordance with the Decree on liquidation of agrarian debts of 1936.

In order for the Cooperative and Agrarian

Bank to be able to continue with the collection of claims based on the pre-war farming debts, it was necessary for the Bank to have valid files and documents on credit facilities disbursed. However, the documentation on the outstanding and unpaid pre-war debts of the farming population in Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia was lost in the fire during the bombardment of the head offices of the Privileged Agrarian Bank in Belgrade, on 6 April 1941. Thus the Cooperative and Agrarian Bank were faced with the job of reconstruction of one part of the mortgage loan portfolio of the pre-war agrarian debts. When speaking of the documentation which was to be found during the war in the branch offices of the Privileged Agrarian Bank in the western parts of the country, the task was to establish which ones, amongst the obligors, were still able and capable of servicing their debts. Namely, it was necessary to free from debt repayment liabilities all of those farmers who had perished during the war, or who had their immovable realty destroyed during the war.

In accordance with the Law on final liquidation of agrarian debts, published on 16 November 1945 [Official Gazette of the DFJ, 89, 1945], it was prescribed that total obliteration of debts shall be granted to all farmers - obligors who had participated, or have themselves or members of their families, perished in the people’s liberation war. In addition, it was prescribed that either in full or in part debts of all the farmers shall be written-off who had suffered material damage. Those farmers who were required to continue with debt repayment were to complete final settlement of debts within a period of six months.

The data necessary for establishing facts on whether the farmers were compliant with the requirements for the writing-off of their debts, was to be gathered by the Cooperative and Agricultural Bank. To that end, a questionnaire was compiled to be filled-in for every individual case at hand. The questionnaire contained questions prescribed in the Law on final liquidation of agrarian debts [AJ, F. 155, VIII]. Regarding the matter of ruling on whether the obligor is fulfilling requirements for writing-off of debt, the said Law stipulated that county and metropolitan (city zone) people’s committees

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dobili od Privilegovane agrarne banke nekadašnji poverioci zemljoradnika. U tom smislu, Zadružna i poljoprivredna banka je 17. maja 1946. godine uputila poziv bankama i kreditnim zadrugama iz Srbije, Crne Gore i Makedonije da pomognu rekonstrukciji portfelja zemljoradničkih dugova

Zadružna i poljoprivredna banka (Ranije Privilegovana agrarna banka a. d.)

Poziv bankama, kreditnim zadrugama i ostalim ustanovama

Zadružna i poljoprivredna bnaka poziva banke, štedionice, kreditne zadruge i ostale ustanove, koje su bančinoj centrali u Beogradu predale svoj portfelj zemljoradničkih dugova po Uredbi o likvidaciji zemljorandičkih dugova iz 1936. godine, da hitno dostave Banci, ukoliko to več nisu učinile, sledeće podatke:

Sve bančine „zbirne spiskove“ - obračune o preuzimanju zemljoradničkih dugova pojedinih dužnika, sva bančina pisma na osnovu kojih su sprovođena bilo kakva knjiženja na računima odnosnih ustavova kod Banke... Sva su ova dokumenta potrebna radi rekonstrukcije krnjiga i stanja računa, a po upotrebi biće vraćena ustanovama. Ovaj poziv odnosi se na ustanove sa teritorije narodnih republika Srbije, Crne Gore i Makedonije [Službeni list FNRJ, oglasni deo, 40, 1946]

Kada je 15. marta 1947. godine Zadružna i poljoprivredna banka bila spojena sa Narodnom bankom FNRJ, posao na konačnoj likvidaciji predratnih zemljoradničkih dugova preuzela je Državna investiciona banka. Povodom preuzimanja portfelja predratnih zemljoradničkih dugova 15. aprila 1947. godine, direktor Organizacione direkcije Državne investicione banke u Beogradu, Uroš Bunjevac je zapisao „da su knjige i kartoteka bivše Privilegovane agrarne banke izgorele za vreme rata i da su hipotekarna dugovanja rekonstuisana na osnovu stanja od 1939. godine i

Upitnik, Arhiv Jugoslavije, Fond 155, Fascikla XQuestionnaire, Archives of Yugoslavia, Fund 155, Folder X

Upitnik, Arhiv Jugoslavije, Fond 155, Fascikla XQuestionnaire, Archives of Yugoslavia, Fund 155, Folder X

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shall be in charge, which had to establish for this particular purpose, special three-member commission units.

At the invitation of the local and metropolitan people’s committees, individual obligors of the Privileged Agrarian Bank were to appear. In the western parts of the country, where at the branch offices of the Privileged Agrarian Bank appropriate credit disbursement files were preserved, it was possible to resolve applications received from farmers on a case to case basis. However, in the eastern parts of the country, there were no facilities available for such a manner of work. Thus the Cooperative and Agrarian Bank was tasked with the reconstruction of the list of debtors and their outstanding liabilities on the basis of confirmation-receipts that they have received during the handing over of the portfolio of the agrarian debts from the Privileged Agrarian Bank, at that time the creditor bank of the farming population. To that end, the Cooperative and Agrarian Bank, on 17 May 1946, submitted a request to all the banks and crediting cooperatives in Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia, to render assistance in the reconstruction of the portfolio of agrarian debts.

The Cooperative and Agrarian Bank (the former Privileged Agrarian Bank a.d.)

Invitation to all the banks, crediting cooperatives and other institutions

Cooperative and Agrarian Bank hereby invites all the banks, savings banks, crediting cooperatives and other institutions which had submitted to the Bank’s head office in Belgrade their portfolio of agrarian debts, in accordance with the provisions of the Decree on liquidation of agrarian debts of the year 1936, to urgently submit to the Bank, if they had not as yet so proceeded, the following data:

All the Bank’s “aggregate lists” - calculation on the taking over of agrarian

Upitnik, Arhiv Jugoslavije, Fond 155, Fascikla 8Questionnaire, Archives of Yugoslavia, Fund 155, Folder 8

Upitnik, Arhiv Jugoslavije, Fond 155, Fascikla 8Questionnaire, Archives of Yugoslavia, Fund 155, Folder 8

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sačuvanih ili podnetih dokumenata.“ [AJ, F. 155, III].

Sa likvidacijom privatnog bankarskog sektora u Jugoslaviji, prestala je obaveza države da iz budžeta finansira potraživanja akcionarskih banaka po osnovu otpisanih zemljoradničkih dugova. Zbog toga je Uredbom o likvidaciji poslovanja po zemljoradničkim dugovima, od 22. aprila 1947. godine bilo propisno da se svi iznosi, naplaćeni po osnovu konačne likvidacije zemljoradničkih dugova posle 31. marta 1947. godine, upotrebe 50% u korist nadležnih sreskih odnosno gradskih narodnih odbora, a 50% u korist saveznog budžeta [Službeni list FNRJ, 33, 1947].

Zaključak

O tome kako je tekao posao na likvidaciji zemljoradničkih dugova rečito govori sačuvani Referat po preuzetom hipotekarnom portfelju zemljoradničkih dugova bivše Zadružne i poljoprivredne banke koji je 2. aprila 1949. godine iz filijale Državne investicione banke u Sarajevu poslao centrali u Beogradu finansijski referent Miodrag Antić.

"Glavna filijala Sarajevo preuzela je 2.254 hipotekarne partije sa svoje teritorijalne nadležnosti, u ukupnom iznosu od Din 5,342.481,50. Detaljnim pregledom je utvrđeno da je isplaćeno oko 174 partija u iznosu od 311.000 din, a pod konfiskaciju potpadaju 12 partija i 7 pod udar agrarne reforme. Prema tome, ostalo bi oko 2.060 partija na koje bi se imao primeniti Zakon o konačnoj likvidaciji zemljoradničkih dugova... Među njima, ima oko 450 dužnika za koje nisu primljene odluke sreskih komisija, oko 510 dužnika je odbijeno pravo korišćenja olakšica predviđenih Zakonom o konačnoj likvidaciji zemljoradničkih dugova, za 400 dužnika nisu primljeni upitnici, a za 598 dužnika imamo upitnike a nemamo molbe dužnika za primenu olakšica što ukupno iznosi 1.950 partija na koje se do danas nije mogao primeniti Zakon o konačnoj likvidaciji zemljoradničkih dugova. Iz izloženog se vidi da je odziv narodnih odbora kao i dužnika bio slab... Napominjemo da... banka u većini slučajeva ne dobija nikakvog odgovora ili se pisma vraćaju neuručena sa napomenom da dužnik nije živ, a ukoliko odgovaraju, naslednici izjavljuju da su u teškom materijalnom stanju bez ikakvog inventara usled ratnog pustošenja." [AJ, F. 155, II]

Literatura / References

Izvori / Sources1. Arhiv Jugoslavije: Fond br 155: Privilegovana

agrarna banka, fascikle I do VIII [AJ, F. 155]

Knjige i članci / Books and academic articles1. Ugričić, Miograd: Novac u Jugoslaviji za vreme

Drugog svetskog rata, Jugoslovenski pregled, Beograd, 2000. [M. Ugručić]

Neautorizovana izdanja / Non-copyrighted publications1. Finansijski institut Ministarstva finansija

FNRJ: Finansijski sistem FNR Jugoslavije, Beograd, 1949. [Finansijski sistem FNR Jugoslavije, 75-79].

2. „Naredba o privremenom redu bankarskog poslovanja i novčanog saobraćaja“ List uredaba vojnog zapovednika za Srbiju, br. 7, 25. maj 1941. [List uredaba, 7, 1941].

3. „Uredba o regulisanju poslovanja banaka i štedionica“ Službene novine, br. 121, 4. novembar 1941. [Službene novine, 121, 1941]

4. „Uredba o likvidaciji poslovanja po zemljoradničkim dugovima“, Službeni list FNRJ, br. 33, 22. april 1947. [Službeni list FNRJ, 33, 1947]

5. „Zakon o uređenju i delovanju kreditnog sistema“, Službeni list DFJ, br. 87, 9. novembar 1945. [Službeni list DFJ, 87, 1945]

6. „Zakon o nacionalizaciji privatnih privrednih preduzeća“ Službeni list FNRJ, br. 98, 6. decembar 1946. [Službeni list FNRJ, 98, 1946]

7. „Zakon o konačnoj likvidaciji zemljoradnčikih dugova“ Službeni list DFJ, br. 89, 16. novembar 1945. [Službeni list DFJ, 89, 1945]

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debts of individual obligors, all the Bank’s letters on the basis of which any bookkeeping entries were made and crediting/debiting of accounts of the said institutions with the Bank… All these documents are necessary for purpose of reconstruction of books and accounts’ balances, and upon their use shall be returned to respective home institutions. This invitation pertains to the institutions located in the territories of the people’s republics of Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia [Official Gazette of the FNRJ, advertising, 40, 1946].

On 15 March 1947, when the Cooperative and Agrarian Bank was merged with the National Bank of FNRJ, the work on final liquidation of the pre-war agrarian debts was taken over by the State Investment Bank. On the occasion of the transfer of portfolio of the pre-war agrarian debts, on 15 April 1947, the director of the Organisational Directorate of the State Investment Bank in Belgrade, Uros Bunjevac, wrote the following, “The bookkeeping and the files and archives of the former Privileged Agrarian bank have been burnt down during the war and the mortgage loans were reconstructed on the basis of the situation as of 1939 and the preserved or submitted documents.” [AJ, F. 155, III].

Together with the liquidation of the private banking sector in Yugoslavia, the obligation of the State ceased for financing from its budget the claims of the shareholding banks on the ground of the written-off agrarian debts. Thus, in the Decree on liquidation of operations pertaining to the agrarian debts, of 22 April 1947, it was prescribed that all the sums and amounts collected on the grounds of final liquidation of agrarian debts, after 31 March 1947, shall be used, up to 50%, in favour of the competent county i.e. metropolitan people’s committees, and up to 50%, in favour of the federal budget [Official Gazette of the FNRJ, 33, 1947].

Conclusion

The best illustration of the liquidation procedure of agrarian debts is to be found in the preserved Report on the taken over mortgage portfolio of agrarian debts of the former Cooperative and Agrarian Bank, which was dispatched on 2 April 1949, from the branch office of the State Investment Bank in Sarajevo, to the head office in Belgrade, by its financial officer, Miodrag Antic:

“The main branch office Sarajevo took over 2,254 mortgage accounts within its territorial competence, in the total amount of Din. 5,342,481.50. Detailed examination showed that some 174 lots were paid in the amount of 311,000 din, and confiscation is to be conducted on 12 accounts, and 7 shall be subject to the impact of agrarian reform. Therefore, the remaining would be some 2,060 accounts to be subject of the provisions of the Law on final liquidation of agrarian debts … Among them, there are some 450 obligors for whom no decisions of the county commissions were received, some 510 obligors who were refused the right to benefits prescribed in the Law on final liquidation of agrarian debts, for some 400 obligors no questionnaires were received, and for 598 obligors we have questionnaires but have not received requests for benefits, which makes up for a total of 1,950 accounts which until this day were not eligible for the application of the Law on final liquidation of agrarian debts. The above stated shows that the response of the people’s committees and obligors equally, was rather poor… We wish to note that … the Bank, in most cases, is not receiving any reply, or letters are returning undelivered with the note that the obligor is no longer alive, and if replies are received, the heirs are stating that they are in dire material situation, without any property of their own because of destruction and damages caused by war [AJ, F. 155, II[.