The Ministry of Finance alerts: Failure to approve the budget leaves us without salaries, pensions, social, security

The Finance Ministry has warned that in case the new budgetary law is not passed by the new government and the assembly, all payments -- including salaries from security organs to civil service, pensions and other social assistances, public services and all other budgetary obligations -- will be cut off from February 28th, respectively, if there is a decision from the Assembly and the Kosovo Treasury alone will be allowed to pay public debt, as well as payment deadlines.

In a media communiqué, the MF explains that on October 31st, 2019, it submitted the draft budget proposal for 2020 to Government, but that it could not approve the budget bill and send it to the Assembly, as the latter had not been dedicated.

Moreover, the MF explains that the budget proposal can be addressed and prosecuted by the new Government at the Constituted Assembly, such as organs released by the recent parliamentary elections.

In accordance with LMFPP legal authorisations, the Ministry of Finance has extended budgetary allocations and budgetary regulations for 2 months of 2020, or 16.67% of the final division of 2019, respectively, until February 28, 2020, after the provision under Article 24, the 1st paragraph of LMFPPPP, respectively, was held in the last four months before the start of the fiscal year, as the situation defined at the LMFPP.

In accordance with Article 24, paragraph 2 of the LMFPP, only the Parliament could decide on the extension of budgetary divisions for even one months, for the period until 31 March 2020, respectively. This is the final time allowed for budget spending, and there is no other legal instrument for budget cuts to be extended more than three months, so no later than March 31, 2020.

After passing the aforementioned deadlines 28 February, respectively, according to the limits of the LMFPP, article 24, paragraph 3, if the above-mentioned divisions have expired and the new Law on Bunting Divisions has not been adopted, then no budgetary organisation or other public authority can authorise any spending or payment until the new Law on Business Divisions is adopted. However, the MF and Treasury are authorised to pay payment for the laundering of a public debt that has been legally taken under the IX part of this law, at the time they are measured.

In the situation when the new budget law is not adopted by the new government and the assembly, all payments -- including salaries from security organs to civil service, pensions and other social assistances, public services, as well as all other budgetary obligations -- will be cut off from February 28th, respectively, March 31st (if there is a decision from Parliament) and the Kosovo Treasury alone will be allowed to pay public debt, in accordance with the LMFPP, in 24th paragraph 3.

According to parliamentary practice and competent legal opinions, since the Government in its resignation does not approve bills, and rather, the budget bill, which, in addition, is political document reflecting the strategic objectives and government programme, remains in charge of institutions stemming from the 2019 elections to enable the constitutional framework of the Parliamentary Body (promissions) as well as the Government to address the budget issue and budget bill for 2020, as among the most urgent actions, whose proposal as a draft has been handed over to the Ministry of Finance, the MFA).