Blake: In Pristina, diaspora investments impede

Representatives of businesses in the diaspora claim that a 300m-euro project is being hampered in the municipality of Pristina now and five years.

The head of the Albanian Business Network in Europe, Yll Blakaj, claims there is no security for foreign investment, nor for those from the diaspora, because the main element for the departure of investors from the diaspora is the tribute.

Blakaj says Kosovo must protect investors and eliminate these bureaucracy as soon as it becomes a favourable country for diaspora investments, but also many companies from the network of businesses that are the main foundation of the economy in Kosovo.

These things stand, while we don't have an influx of investors. These are the tasks of our government and the government of Albania to investigate why investors do not come or come back? Of course, we have many cases of misuse of investors, their despair, the demand of various favors. We have people who have 200-300m euros projects, which have construction permits, and they've changed a municipal government or another issue, and they haven't been able to continue the project for five years, and many other red tape that our people don't need. These must be eliminated as soon as possible, made a favourable place. Let's not forget we're not the middle of the world here, we're not the world's most important consumers, but for our diaspora we're the most important place and we want to develop it with our own flesh and soul, say Blackaj.

The chairman of the Albanian Business Network in Europe, Yll Blakaj, cites that a 300m-euro project by the diaspora is preventing it from realised five years in the Pristina municipality.

Blakaj says in the next few days, he'll show what project this is about.

The fact is, five years, I know one example, that 300m euros is the investment project in the Pristina municipality, which is standing on tables. With two prime ministers or five ministers, I've already talked about this problem, and it doesn't sound like a deaf ear. This suggests that certain people are not interested in such investment flows, I don't know why! In Austria, where I live, if we talk about 300m euros in investments, a Group or Task Force will be formed for that project alone and the problem will be solved within a month”, Blakaj claims.

He says capital investment in real estate clearly shows that the Kosovo diaspora has tools and is ready for the Kosovo market, but Kosovo is not ready to absorb all these diaspora energy or Albanian businesses operating throughout Europe.

We're certainly not ready for such an investment flood, but we're starting to find more convenient ways to get through not only real estate and remittances, but to change the destination... Albania and Kosovo, existing laws we have good, perfect. The tax system is good, but everything remains there. We still have economic courts. If we both have a contract, we need to see that it might not go well, but it should also choose the opposite. Second, it's the power system, it's not very stable. So a clear investment absorption system is also lacking in Albania and in Kosovo”, Blakaj declares.

The head of the business network says each businessman from the dream diaspora has the Kosovo and Albanian market, not for personal gain, but for national benefits.

Three thousand Albanian businesses are members of the Albanian Business Network, while there are supposed to be over 30,000 Albanian businesses that have flooded the European market.