Rukiqi for the World Bank report: There is economic growth and employment without building the thermocentral plant “New Kosovo”

The chairman of Kosovo's Economic Ode, Berat Rukiqi, has commented on the World Bank's latest data on an increase of only 4.5 per cent of Kosovo's economy in the next three years.

Contacted by Periscopi, Rukiqi has said that overall economic growth continues to be good and positive news for Kosovo. However, World Bank projections are accurate if the Government does nothing to build the new thermal power plant.

Economic growth continues to be positive but not enough to address development needs and increase employment. This increase is dependent on public investments and diaspora remittances. For this growth to be sustainable, we must have more foreign direct investment and increased exports. If the construction of the thermal power plant does not begin, the level of economic growth will emerge according to the WB” projections, Rukiqi has said in a statement to Periscope.

During the day we have reported that the World Bank's recent global economy report, Kosovo will have 4.5 percent growth in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

The projected economic growth for other Western Balkan countries envisions Albania having 3.6% growth in 2019 and 3.5% in 2020 and 2021; Macedonia 2.9% in 2019, 3.2% in 2020, 3.3% in 2021, Serbia 3.5% in 2019, 4.0% in 2020 and 2021.

While Montenegro will have 2.8% economic growth in 2019, 2.5% in 2020 and 2021, Bosnia and Herzegovina will have 3.4% growth in 2019, 3.9% in 2020 and 4% in 2021.
The report “Global Economic Affairs”, published this month, envisions reducing global economic growth by concluding that reduced economic “and increased risks are clouding global economic prospects”.

Otherwise, after a whole decade of crawling on thermal power plant “New Kosovo has been warned it could be deployed in April this year if financing is secured and the project gets two-thirds of the vote in the Kosovo Assembly as state guarantees.

Economic Development Minister Valdrin Luka, during an interview with the newspaper “Voice”, in December of last year, had not ruled out the possibility of failing the project to build the new thermal power plant “New Kosova”. According to him, such a thing could happen if funding is not secured and the same does not get consent in the Kosovo Assembly. The situation calls it difficult to attract the World Bank (BB) from funding.

However, according to Luka, this has not hampered the project after foreign companies have been presented as the American Agency for Funding Outdoor Projects with the International Japanese Bank.

The unemployment rate among young people in Kosovo, meanwhile, continues to be nearly 34 per cent, according to recent state statistics. /Periscopi