Apostolova shows how Kosovo society could change for the better

If SAA implementation is done properly, this will affect improving the quality of citizens' lives.

Kosovo imports and exports products mostly from EU countries, and during 2018, it has exported and imported mostly products with Germany.

These were said in the discussion organised by the EU office on the topic: Consumer Protection, Agriculture, Food Safety and Job Safety.

The head of the EU office in Kosovo, Natalia Apostolova, says the proper implementation of the SAA has a direct impact on improving the standard of life in Kosovo.

The fulfillment of these standards has different responsibilities in Kosovo's relevant institutions and their implementation is expected to improve the quality of life of Kosovo citizens... if implementation is appropriate then the agreement will affect concrete benefits in Kosovo and Kosovo society will change for the better”, Apostolova said.

While European Integration Minister Gifts Hoxha said the country needs more effectively to implement the SAA measures.

According to Hoxha, even though there is a positive trend of implementing ERA1, it is urgent to speed up implementation ERA 2, with particular emphasis on adopting legislation for the forced removal of accused and convicted public officials, review of the High Education Bill, renewable resources and others.

In a discussion on the topic of Consumer, Agriculture, Food Security and Job Safety, Hoxha said, however, as a result of the SAA agreement, Kosovo has marked economic growth.

Measures are expected to be implemented as adoption of legislation to ensure the suspension and forced removal of accused public officials and convicted of corruption. Change the law on funding political parties to ensure greater accountability, and also more efficient implementation and sanctions”, Hoxha said.

Speaking of the MSA's influence in the economic field, independent expert Naim Hurgulica said Kosovo already exports and imports mostly with EU countries.

“Kosovo exports to the EU in 2015 has exports to less than a high value because we also have low exports, but in percentages the EU market has represented about 30 per cent of total exports on where Kosovo exports have gone. Despite the import aspect of the EU continues to be the largest market where Kosovo is opportating from these countries... Imports from the EU are recognised on the rise each year, and in 2018 we have come to an estimated 1 billion and 438m euros in imports from the EU, which is worth 43 per cent of total imports. But even in the export part, you have seen that exports days are increasing towards the EU, and in 2018 we have completed it with an increase in the percentage of European market participation in total exports. Now our exports to the EU amounts to 27.61 per cent of the export value”, he said. <

According to Huruglica, the least positive statistics are those of export, where Kosovo is facing trade disbalancing. In 2018 alone, Kosovo has exported products worth 3.3 billion euros, while importing only 329m euros.

Import in 2018 has reached 3.3 billion euros, while total exports do not exceed $39m. These are bad statistics, they are non-positive statistics”, he said.

According to Huruglica, countries from where Kossova imports more from EU countries is Germany. In 2018 from Germany, Kosovo imported goods worth 391m euros, followed by Italy, Greece, Slovenia and Poland. Exports are also the same ranking, mostly from Germany, Slovenia, Great Britain and Bulgaria.

And Deputy Prime Minister of Labour Agim Millaku said that among the sectors facing the most challenges is that of construction. According to him, the Labour Inspectorate is fighting non-form workers in this sector, even for the level of risk that construction carries.

While he said the biggest problem of employees in their workplaces is the long-standing hours free of charge, the failure to use annual and other holiday.

“Set up the biggest employees' rights violations is the extended hours of free work, because they are not paid extra hours to workers who are nowhere known if the worker has worked or worked, if he deserves or scans extra hours of payment. They just lose the facts. We don't have the potential to investigate workers who were subjected to this”, Milaku said.

He also mentioned the minimum wage in the country, which, according to him, is extremely low.

With 170 euros, a four-member family can't even have normal development and let it presuppose”, he said.

Millaku has also talked about the challenges the Labour Inspectorate faces, voicing the need for professional preparation inspectors so that he said to oversee the working subjects where the violation of rights in the workplace becomes large.