a few seconds agoFamily, party ties, key employment criteria in Kosovo
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)Young people in Kosovo are constantly struggling to secure a job, especially in the public sector. In addition to university degrees, the main job determination in the public sector, according to them, are family and party ties. Vlora has graduated from the Economics Faculty for two years and applied in several competitions. But she doubts [...]
Vlora has graduated from the Economics Faculty for two years and applied in several competitions. However, she doubts that bribery and familiarization have influenced employment.
Kosovo institutions have established clans. And to provide a job, you need to become part of the clans in advance. I don't act that way, because I have the necessary qualifications”, Vlora says.
Family ties, bribery and party ties are mentioned in the recent report of the United Nations Development Programme in Kosovo (UNDP) as factors that greatly influence it to secure a public sector job in Kosovo.
According to this report, 78 percent of respondents believe that family ties, bribery, and other party ties and non-merital factors are more beneficial to obtain a job.
Only 22 percent believe that education, experience, and professional skills are the main criteria for public sector employment.
Even representatives of civil society say the public sector is “revised “for militants of political parties coming to power.
Zulfaj lives from the non-governmental organisation “Speak”, tells Radio and Free Europe that this criterion, although not legal, has overcrowd the public sector in Kosovo.
“We see a packed administration with persons linked to political subjects, who are mostly counted as votes and not as state workers”, Zulfaj says.
Overworked employment in the public sector has resulted in a non-competitive and non-professive administration, Zulfaj points out.
Kosovo citizens cannot expect effective and professional work from the majority of workers in public institutions. And this situation doesn't prevent senior political officials who have no problem guaranteeing a public administration based on”, Zulfay tells Radio Free Europe.
Otherwise, over 800,000 people are accounted for by public sector employees, with an average salary of 525 euros per month.
The ongoing European Union has urged reforms in public administration in Kosovo, as a priority need for the country's integration into the European Union.
However, the unemployment rate in Kosovo, according to data published by the Statistics Agency (ASK) for the first quarter of this year, is 26.5 per cent. The most pronounced unemployment rate is among 15-24 age groups, at 54.0 percent.
