Swiss newspaper: Kosovars envy their countrymen in Switzerland

Switzerland is everywhere in Kosovo. Many stores do not hesitate to launch the Swiss flag. As for cars with CH license plates, they flood roads during the holiday season, says the newspaper “Blic” in its edition of August 4th 2017, albinfo.ch reports.

Nearly 200,000 Kosovars live in Switzerland, 10% of Kosovo's total population. This diaspora annually sends 175 million francs, according to official figures. Unofficially, this could be much higher.

Swiss companies annually invest 65 million francs. The Swiss “Investors are our main source of direct investment”, the Kosovo Embassy says.

Agriculture on the Top

200 Swiss companies have been deployed since 2003 in Kosovo. Imports from Kosovo have reached up to 17 million francs in 2016, mainly agricultural products make up a quarter of exports to Switzerland.

At low labour costs, entrepreneurs are really quite attracted, like Joachim Lichtenhn Winterthur (ZH) and Besnik Etemi from Zurich. They started producing dried berries. My grandfather has land in Kosovo”, shows loyalty to Etemi. Even Armend Malazog has begun commercialising the berries, even managed to put the so-called ésmoothiesı on the Coop shelves, says the script of “Blik”, conveys albinfo.ch.

German, in call centres (call centers)

Many Kosovars speak German, which enabled them to attract call centres. One of the best known is called “Baruti” and was founded by the so-called “Secondos” The company offers salaries of up to 500 euros a month, an interesting amount for Kosovo employees and employers in Switzerland.

That's without counting the money the diaspora spend on the country during their holidays. The Kosovo government talks about at least 100,000 visitors coming from Switzerland each year. And, perhaps even more, “Edelweiss” operates 670 flights per year, while its rival, “EasyJet”, 1001 flights, reaching a total of 150,000 passengers.

Kosovo loan dominance

Switzerland also plays an important role in financing the new state. Since loans are very expensive in Kosovo banks, the Swiss have found a way to enter the sector. The sector is dominated by companies, such as “Cembra money Bank”, “Cashgate” and “Bank-now”

These institutions operate through mediators. Some say they have thousands of customers, such as Lulzim Aliu, who claims to have 28,000 customers with a high volume of one billion franc loans.

It's all not pink, though. “Young people all want to leave Kosovo”, Ademi says. He is satisfied with his salary of less than 300 euros. “Here is a good salary”, he says, but yet, when we look on the street in the parade with BMW, Audi and Maserai, it creates jealousy and envy but silently. Nobody really wants to be hostile with these people back home to spend their money.