Government plans construction of one billionth highway at the time of numerous strikes

In the Minister of Infrastructure, the total cost is expected to amount to 1 billion euros without giving any explanation as to why such a high cost of expropriation is envisioned.

Construction of this highway has come from Ramush Haradinaj's government. Haradinaj is chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, which has the main votes in the five municipalities of Dukagjin: Decan, Peja, Gjakova and Istog. This highway will pass through these municipalities.

This will be the third highway in Kosovo. The current president, Hashim Thaci, had started two highways during the time of prime minister: Pristina-Mora (The Nation's Street) and Pristina- Skopje (Auttostrada Arber Xhaferi).

The second highway -- that for Skopje -- is not yet complete. Due to the inability to pay the supervisor for more time, Bechel & Enka, the Haradinaj government has agreed to pay an additional 53m euros bill. No documents have been published that have been obtained as the basis for paying these extra tools on the original cost.

The new highway, Dukagjin's, is expected to connect these cities: Itstog Peja Decani dea Gjakova Prizren, with a length of 30 miles [91 km]. The Ministry of Infrastructure in August has signed the contract for “Establishing the implementation project for the construction of the Istogà Prizren” highway, which Minister Lekaj considers the government's giant “project”.

The project on this highway will draft the Infra Plus & Infra Tech consortium for a cost of 1m and 39 thousand euros.

Millions in asphalt Investment Objected

Millions of others in the country are wrong, according to experts.

The expert Dukagjin Pupovci of education estimates that investments being made in infrastructure are negatively affecting other sectors.

“Of course Kosovo needs better infrastructure than what it has, but, indeed, investments that are being made in road investment exceed the country's potential, because all of this is leaving the other sectors of social services without adequate funds and especially education. Therefore, I consider this policy has had to be revised so far and thought in a slightly longer term”, he told the JNK newspaper.

Pupovci adds that the Government is dealing only with infrastructure due to elections, which, according to him, should be guided in the development of education and in support of students, even through scholarships and increased opportunities.

“A priority from the policy to invest in the highway is that there is a short time in the investment and this often translates into votes in the case of elections, in investments in education and other areas are long-term investments, but that doesn't mean that all government policy should be directed towards gaining elections but that it should be oriented towards developing the country, and these investments really affect negatively”, it is said in response to education expert.

And economics expert Naim Gashi points out that capital investments should be directed to Kosovo youth, as, according to him, with economic growth of 4 per cent, such a thing is impossible.

“I think the time has come to curb the dynamics of these projects and part of the investment to navigate into the creation of youth jobs in Kosovo, as in the economic growth of about 4% we have it is impossible to absorb young people's contract to enter the project market”, he told JNK.

Gashi stressed that connecting the labour market to the development of education is a priority that also wants state investments.

The capital investments should be directed to youth because 60% of our population are young, and the proportional budget on them is extremely low, there should be mostly small and medium-sized enterprises across various subsidies, then online services, translations, should be the tourism sector, the agriculture sector, all of these will create favourable conditions for young people to find jobs<1>, Gashi added.

The Federation of Kosovo Health Unions has named “absurde” the government's decisions on major investments in road infrastructure.

FSK Chairman Blerim Syla, for Kosovo's Living Journal, says the most necessary is to invest in equipment rather than on highways.

It's best to remove 100 kilometers of highway and invest in health. The time will come when no one will walk through those highways. I don't know what logic is being used, investing millions of euros in roads, not in public services is absurd. I've always called out 100 kilometers and you're going to have to hunt it down once and for all” he said.

Syla added that health investments will affect reducing the number of citizens coming out of the country.

The newspaper Life in Kosovo has contacted the prime minister's office on the issue, which according to Government spokeswoman Donjet Gashi, the 2019 budget will have increases in other sectors as well.

Many projects in the 2019 budget are continuation and are international contracts from the past that should be respected or budgetary/immediate planning that must be implemented. In addition, we have increased the budget in education and health”, the government's spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, another much-pronounced project is that of the “Arba Xhaferi” highway, but that was frequently criticised by the opposition for the government's decision to pay additional 53m euros to the company “Bechtel-Enka”.

For which, Minister of Infrastructure, Paul Lekaj December for KALLXO.com had said the payment has not yet been made and did not specify any specific date for the project launched in 2014.