Slow recovery of “Three”

The manager at “Treps”, Basri Ibrahimi, in a conversation for Radio Free Europe says they are making maximum efforts to overcome the financial crisis at “Trepca”, although, as he says, problems are many and accumulated over the years.

However, according to him, with better management they will manage to increase production and within this year the financial situation will stabilise in “Trepce”.

“Trepcaʹ has been in a crisis given many factors, such as the uncertainty about the statute and political problems, but with the Law on Trepca and the adopted statute, the way has been opened for “Trepca” to move in the right direction. The last few months of production has not been at the right level, but we're making an effort to increase this product, we've set a goal that by the end of the year, we can achieve that the wages and other operational expenses of our products are covered by the work of Trepca”, Ibrahim says.

He stresses that in “Treps” there are many problems for which no quick solution can be found, but that it will be worked in this direction and investment should be made to increase production.

The lack of skilled workers in the mine and outdated technology are two of the issues that require quick solutions. The Kosovo government and all institutions will help us in capital investments to advance the technology used in mining and flotilla, and I am convinced that next year it will be a positive year for Trepca and opening the perspective as a action society”, he says.

The Kosovo government had set aside salaries of workers of over 2m euros, while for capital investments it has allocated 1.3m euros, says Ibrahim, who, according to him, would suffice to update technology and achieve targets.

But recent political developments in the country as the resignation of Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and the early event elections that can be held will affect the process initiated for the recovery of this company.

In his resignation letter, outgoing Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj had also mentioned Trepca, where he had said this company is ready for investment.

Trepca months ago was registered as a stock society where 80 per cent of the shares are in the Government of Kosovo, and 20 per cent are shares of employees from “Trepca”.

Miners of the metallural plant “Trepca” are skeptical that it can be achieved for “Trepca” to emerge from the financial crisis in which it is introduced.

The chairman of the subx2>Trepa Workers' Union”, Fatiti Sadiku, simultaneously a member of the Monitoring Board of “Trepca”, tells Radio Free Europe that this company is going through a difficult financial phase and that inadequate management has been made in this company.

The new director has promised to increase production and recover Trepca by the end of the year, but I see it with scepticism for many reasons because Trepca is heavily indebted, now only over 3m euros owes to operators. We would be happier if “Trepca” recovered, but according to all odds with this current product, even workers' salaries” are not being obtained, Sadiku says.

Sadiku adds that current production in “Trepse” is low and that only up to 10 thousand tonnes of xheh in months with which, according to him, is not able to cover the salaries of about 1,300 miners of the metallallural plant “Trepca”.

“There are delays in paying salaries. The production cannot even cover the expenses and salaries of miners”, Sadiku says.

According to official data, from 1945 to the period before 1990, the mine produced some 600 thousand tons of ore a year. Today, however, no more than 150 thousand tons of ore come out of it.

The metallural plant “Trepca” is located in the Mitrovica municipality. Its sectors are located in the northern and southern part of the city.

In addition to assets in Kosovo, 31 of this nation's property are found in the republics of the former Yugoslavia, including factories, offices and other objects.

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