Removed Under Customs Tax Pressure

Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry of the Government of Kosovo Fadil Arifi, speaking of Radio Free Europe, points out, however, the revote of the country's executive decision is not valid for 7 products that have been within the list of products for which customs duties were imposed.

“Those measures continue to apply to tomatoes, peppers, apples, pears, plums, raisins and grapes. The verdict was made yesterday. The ministry has asked the Government to change and fulfill the decision. We've removed measures for other products, meanwhile, for products that continue with the measures, they're temporary. These measures, later, have been adopted in Government”, Arifi stressed.

He added that until the change of decision “came after various pressures”, while due to analysis it has been important that measures remain for products he mentioned.

The first measures, according to him, have been imposed on the basis of market analysis.

On the other hand, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunication of the Government of Serbia Rasim Ljajic has also confirmed that Pristina has withdrawn customs duty measures by 30 per cent.

“we welcome this decision to withdraw measures. But we also expect that as soon as possible all barriers will be removed for other products, trees, and certain kinds of vegetables”, Ljajic stressed.

Ljajic has made this statement after meeting in Belgrade with the deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mirko Shareviq, as well as Macedonian Agriculture Minister Ljupce Nikolovski. The head of the Directorate for Multi-Platural and Regional Economic Co-operation of the Ministry of Economy of Montenegro, Goran Scepanovic, has also attended the meeting.

Serbian Minister Ljajic, who has spoken on behalf of all participants at the meeting, has stressed that they have called for the removal of other measures imposed earlier by Kosovo: excises for the construction material and flour from Serbia, milk and milk products from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as technical barriers to the export of beer from Montenegro.

Until that happens, for all states and countries participating in this meeting, it remains as an opportunity, as a measure, to comply with its economic interests, to take countermass, which they consider proper. But we want to avoid this”, Ljajic stressed.

Meanwhile, Kosovo's Afarism Trade House Executive Director Ismet Mulaj, speaking of Radio Free Europe, stresses that the Government of Kosovo has the right to make decisions that protect the interest of local producers, especially agricultural products that are vital to Kosovo. Such decisions should be based on the law on trade, on the law on the protection of local products, on the Anti-damping Law, and in line with the CEFTA agreement. But, according to him, the Government of Kosovo's decision to impose the customs tax measure of 30 percent for a series of agricultural products has not been carefully analysed.

“As it appears, the Kosovo Government's decision has not been in harmony with these three Kosovo laws and in line with the requirements of the CEFTA Agreement. Therefore, there has come strong pressure from CEFTA member states, and these states have also managed through the international factor to influence the Government of Kosovo, and that decision is revised. Therefore, Kosovo has done two damage. The first one has marred its image in relation to states, which are members of CEFTA and secondly, is being deceived by local producers, who have promised to protect their products”, Mulaj said.

However, Kosovo's trade relations with neighbouring countries over the years were accompanied by various problems. The countries of the region, such as Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, had not rarely established trade barriers to products from Kosovo, which has resulted in damage to the country's economy.