“AKP politicisation” drags money out for workers

Ylli Kaloshi, spokesman at the AKP, told Radio Free Europe that last month this agency has distributed 2.8m euros for about 4 thousand former employees of 28 social companies.

The regulation dating back to the time of the United Nations Administration (UNMIK), the 20 percent fund, is separated from the total amount of sale of companies, and it belongs to workers.

“From 20 per cent funds, so far the agency has distributed about 113m euros, and some 46 thousand workers and former social companies' employees” have benefited, Kaloshi said.

The privatisation process of social companies has been under way since 2002. So far over 1300 companies have been privatised, while the amount of resources collected from this process has reached over 760m euros. These vehicles are kept frozen at the Kosovo Central Bank.

In contrast, 90m euros have been transferred as surplus funds to Kosovo's budget.

On the other hand, workers' representatives consider the distribution process stalled, due to the 20 per cent, as they say, the protracted extension of the privatisation process of social companies.

The chairman of the Union of Workers' Union of Kosovo, Haxhi Arifi, said the evental delays occur due to several complaints by former workers in the Supreme Court's Special Chamber.

Arifi, however, told Radio Free Europe that the privatisation process should also have a period of time when it will end.

If there were greater commitment, both internationals and locals, more employee lists for 20 per cent” would be realised, Arifi said.

Meanwhile, experts on economic issues do not deny the fact that the Supreme Court's Special Chamber dragpership is the main problem of delays in distribution that 20 per cent, according to them, is the politicisation of the Kosovo Privatisation Agency.

Ismail Kastrati, says the privatisation process has begun and continued badly. As such, this process, according to Kastrati, is also causing problems for the distribution of 20 percent.

It is true that the court neglects the courses, but the main problem is within the Kosovar Privatisation Agency”.

The Kosovar Privatisation Agency is highly politicised. Therefore, the AKP has not been able to act professionally, but rather acted with political positions”, Kastrati said.

However, Kosovo Privatisation Agency officials say they are in the process of preparing documentation for the distribution of 20 per cent funds for qualified workers of other companies as well.