Citizens warn more protests against pricelification

A large number of Kosovo citizens today have protested in front of the KED building to oppose the expensive electricity, where they have requested the creation of a parliamentary investigative commission to investigate ZRGE ties with KEDS.

They protested against rising electricity prices, against billing technical and commercial losses. As they unanimously vowed to protest without letup until their demands are met, repeating the call of one of the organisers, Elza Ramadani.

“We demand the creation of a parliamentary investigative commission to investigate ZERE ties with KEDS. So we vow to protest without letup until our demands are realised”, Ramadani said.

Under a “cheer, not a cent more”, protesters marched from KED to the national theatre, where they even talked about their discontent.

One of the protest organisers, Rron Djindjic, said it is not for the state to cover the losses of a private company, saying it is not to blame alone KEDS, as the Government of Kosovo and politicians are responsible for this.

Djindovci said it is strange how companies that do not gain in Kosovo are being bought by private companies around the world and immediately start generating profits. Moreover, he stressed that it is even more surprising to happen when KED continues to have the same workers and engineers.

According to him, the goal of each private company is to have profits, but stressed that it is not right for the government to cover their losses.

Well, you privatized it. You know, you've been telling them 17 years. But can you explain to me and to us what ideology and political philosophy belong to the state cover the losses of a private company. What is the reason we pay the commercial and technical losses of a private company? We pay for the losses to this private company. And they tell us, as the day before, that we have questionable motives”, Djindov said.

Djindovci said that with protests, electricity bills were used in 2013, with some people still facing justice as a result.

While Elza Ramadani found today's decision by the Government of Kosovo wrong to proceed with an agreement with the investor company.

According to her, all of this because all financial, human and institutional capacity will be put into development of a deadly technology, such as coal burning.

That before the protest measure, he reminded the Ministry of Economic Development that their projects should be based on economic, environmental and social sustainability.

Although construction of a new thermal power plant is being planned, according to Ramadan, the price of electricity in Kosovo is only being expensive.

“Even though, from these institutions itself, a new thermal power plant has been planned to build -- today's agreement on it -- the price of electricity is only growing more and more. Little did we pay for the north, even for private companies. So, today we have gathered, with the ZRE market, government with all relevant ministries that will not pay a cent of any more”, she said.

Ramadani argued that in addition to the financial burden being done to Kosovo citizens, they will soon pay for health problems as well.

Citizens protesting this afternoon held banners like “Do not sharpen your room”, “Pak for the north, now for you too”, whereby they demanded that the Government of Kosovo not increase the price of energy.