BOSNIAN CENTRAL BANK OPENS OFFICE IN MOSTAR

( Editorial: --> 5031 ) MOSTAR, April 6 (Hina) - The Central Bank of Bosnia-Herzegovina opened its main office in Mostar on Monday. The office was opened for the needs of five Federation cantons - Herzegovina-Neretva, West Herzegovina, Herzeg-Bosnia, Central Bosnia and Una-Sana cantons. The task of the Central Bank is to distribute the Bosnian currency - the convertible mark - which will be released in May this year, the bank's Governor Peter Nicholl said. Similar offices have already been opened in Sarajevo and Pale. Another office will soon be opened in Banja Luka, thus granting the Central Bank control over the whole of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The bank will buy and sell convertible marks only for German marks at an exchange rate of 1:1. All other currencies will be bought and sold in commercial banks. The German mark and Croatian kuna will continue to be in use in the Federation areas where they have been used so far, said the head of the Mostar office, Anka Musa. (hina) mm rm /mb 061747 MET apr 98