Serbia's debt to Kosovo pensioners amounts to billions of euros, scary figure detected

Serbia's state continues to have huge debts to the state of Kosovo. This state of debt also separates Kosovo pensioners. According to the report on the issue of pensions between 1999 and 2016, Serbia's debt value to Kosovo is 2 billion and 849 thousand and 907 euros.

The European and Development Affairs Research Institute (RIDEA) has presented the next study concerning Kosovo's pension and disability security fund, as well as Kosovo-Serbia bilateral reports in the energy sector. In both of these areas, according to the Institute, Kosovo is losing enormous value of money. Some of the main findings and recommendations from studies in question were unveiled at the conference.

The researcher from RIDEA, Mrika Kotori, has shown that the disappearance and embezzlement of the pension payment of Kosovars on Serbia has prevented contributing pensioners from exploiting their property.

“Pension Security Fund is managed by the Self-government Community of Interest on Pension Security and Invalidor (BVI-SPI) as an independent system and based on the principle of solidarity among generations. The Fund has provided tools for material and health security, which have been provided on the basis of labour and mandatory contributions. The Fund has played an important socio-economic role in the welfare of beneficiaries and has served as an important financial tool against poverty in old age. So the extinction and illegal embezzlement of BV The I-SPI and the illegal suspension of pension fees on Serbia's part have prevented contributing pensioners from exploiting their property”.

According to the report on the issue of pensions between 1999 and 2016, Serbia's debt value to Kosovo is 2 billion and 849 thousand and 907 euros.

The report recommended that the Serbian state officially accept responsibility for the damage to money and the non-passive damage it has done to contributing pensioners and to apologise to the latter for the damages it has done.

Speaking of energy deals between Kosovo and Serbia, researcher Bekim Krasniqi said they were not implemented and many of them were violated by the neighbouring state. Krasniqi indicated that the debt from the electricity bills of the Serb-run northern majority has exceeded 200 million.

The agreement stemming from the Brussels dialogue has not been implemented, so we have violations of the agreement. Serbia has submitted requests for reviewing this agreement by committing violations. The lack of energy bills in the northern part has reached 204m euros”.

By contrast, Serbia's state had halted the contributions of Kosovo pensioners from June 1999, after the end of the recent war in Kosovo.

Since then, before 1999 pensioners have failed to get their money from this fund, while, according to the Pensioners ' Association, a considerable number have already changed their lives and the issue of retirement inheritance remains questionable.