EPIK: Lack of reforms lost Kosovo 11m euros

Through a media communique, it becomes known that in December 2017, Kosovo and the European Union signed the IPA 2016 financial agreement to finance reforms in public administration.

Under this agreement, Kosovo has been tasked with implementing reforms in the field of public administration, in line with the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, towards establishing an independent, professional and civic public administration.

“According to the agreement, Kosovo institutions pledged they would implement eight reforms in the field of public administration, which will be assessed by the 11 indicators. On the other hand, the European Union pledged that implementation of agreed reforms would be rewarded with 22m euros of direct budget support and 3m in technical assistance. In contrast, Kosovo's institutions would gain a financial injection which would guide business support, scholarship delivery for students, construction of schools, hospitals, or any other public service to the benefit of citizens”, the IPEK says.

Therefore, according to IPEK, the agreement had two goals: (1) advancing European reforms in the field of public administration, and (2) financial support Government to provide better services to citizens.

The agreement identified eight key reforms for the period 2018-2020:

Improving policy planning, co-ordination and monitoring and legislation;

The development of policies and the map of legislation according to comprehensive and empirical approach;

Increasing professionalism and improving human resources management in public administration;

Improve administrative services for citizens and businesses;

Reducing administrative burden for citizens and businesses;

Rationalisation of public administration;

Improving public access to official documents;

Improve public access to administrative justice.

“in this context, in 2018 it had to become the source of the fixed tranche of 5.5m euros, as well as the fulfillment of eleven indicators that would allow the release of the first variable tranche worth 5.5m euros”, said in the communique.

In this direction, based on institute analysis The EPIK is estimated that Kosovo institutions have failed to fully implement any of the eleven indicators that had to be met by the end of 2018, and as a result of this, Kosovo has lost 11m euros. With this trend of reforms, Kosovo risks losing even the remaining 14m euros.

According to IPEK analysis, Kosovo institutions have not reached the end of 2018 to meet the eleven agreed indicators, as follows:

The 60% goal of meeting the National Programme for Implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement has not been reached;

There has not been reached the 50% target of sectoral strategies/politics, the concept of documents and laws adopted by the government in 2018 which would have to be passed into the public consultations process, in line with the Minimal Standards for Public Consultation;

The annual report on disciplinary measures taken in 2018 against civil servants for violating ethical and corruption provisions has not been published;

The Kosovo Assembly has not adopted the necessary legislative changes to enable, given a judicial decision, the suspension of public officials charged with criminal acts of corruption and the dismissal of public officials convicted of criminal acts of corruption;

There have been at least 15% harmonised or abolished of specific administrative procedures which have been contrary to the Law for General Administrative Procedures;

No professional staff of the Government Co-ordination Secretariat (SKQ), Strategic Planning Office (ZPS) and Legal Office (ZL) under the Office of Prime Minister (ZKM);

The Kosovo Assembly has not adopted the necessary legislative changes to ensure that at least seven independent organs currently report to the Assembly to be abolished or integrated within government structures;

The Kosovo Assembly has not approved in the package, the Law for Organising Public Administration, the Civil Service Law and the Law for the Salaries;

Central institutions have not reached 70% of written answers within 30 days to the ombudsman's recommendations, between January 1st and November 30th 2018;

Central institutions have failed to implement 40% of the ombudsman's recommendations;

The Kosovo Assembly has not adopted the Law on Administrative Conflicts.

The EPIK Institute invites state institutions to boost commitment towards meeting agreed indicators aimed at advancing reforms in the field of public administration and preventing the loss of 25m euros that could be guided in the service of citizens.

“In the end, we consider that failure to meet agreed reforms except that it wants to result in the loss of financial means, at the same time would damage our country's reputation as a credital partner before the international community. Finally, the genius attached two infographics that clarify the level of meeting the eleven indicators and the state of financial desource worth 25m euros”, the communiqué says.