OAK: About 30,000 workers have been fired

So said today by the Oda of Kosovo Afarism at a media conference with the “Pandemia theme and the difficulties of doing business”.

OAK Board member Hasan Gigolaj said that as a result of the serious situation, a number considered businesses have closed and unfortunately that number is on the rise.

“Based on field data, it turns out that the number of workers who have left their jobs is bringing about 30,000 and if they continue with this avaz and if we have not supported the state then these figures are threatened to range from 50,000 to 70 thousand unemployed citizens”, Gigolaj said.

He has reaffirmed that several times they have addressed the government, but even to MPs, demands for businesses but that the same have not been taken into account.

Gigolaj has demanded that the Economic Regeneration Bill be adopted as soon as possible in the Assembly.

Gigolaj: It seems that the government and MPs are not interested in passing package for economic recovery

“We are witnesses that for the last time is not passing the Pack for economic recovery. It seems that the Government and MPs are not interested in passing this package that is so necessary and important to businesses and citizens themselves. So we as the Kosovo Afarism Ode require that our demands and our proposals have addressed”, he said.

It has also sought to subsidise salaries for employees for the period of May, June, July, August and September, no lower than 220 euros per month.

Subvention wages for employees for May, June, July, August, September no lower than 220 euros for monthly employment. Complete first class release by respecting standards and raw materials. The first item is released both when you buy and abroad and within Kosovo territory. The package creation where every local product is subsidised at a 10 per cent drop. Subventing exports by 10 per cent of the exported amount, VAT reduction to 5 per cent for food, tourism and hotel, the creation of investment and development fund through which all of these subsidies for support of business” can be realised, he explains.

As well as the release of tax payments to profit, for companies from industry that have suffered damage from pandemic for the period of April, May, June, July, August and September 2020.

“As far as loans are concerned, the OAK requires that you be allowed loans to businesses with a price of up to two years and with payment terms of up to 10 years to guarantee 80 per cent to 100 per cent of the state. The loan is also available to businesses for operational actions that include salaries or other expenses. Credits will be without interest with grants of 30 per cent for micro and small enterprises through credit guarantees fund. Lowering the central bank's basic interest rate to 1.7 per cent so commercial banks can lower their interest rates. Based on the OAK's analysis of how banks in countries in the region have acted during this period, it turns out to have reduced interest to 0.05 per cent, while the CEC has behaved as if there is no pandemic in the country at all. The noncommunication of laws in the country in itself also presents another challenge of doing business. And we as OAK have applied for these changes”, he added.

While OAK's legal official, Dielza Zeqiri has talked about harmonisation and changing laws for the reasons of businesses and foreign investors.

Kosovo's “Oda of Afarism has some proposals regarding harmonisation of laws and their compliance because businesses and foreign investors are getting harder to do business in Kosovo. As proposals for meeting the change of laws are mainly changing administrative guidelines from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Roural Development, which especially affects the agriculture sector, livestock, mining, minerals and tourism. Likewise, the Labour and Lehonia Law, the Law on Internal Trade, the Law of Mining and Minerals to Lower T VV for tourism and food at 5 percent. T Whether paid in the Incam, not in luck, to create offers for business, the Law for Strategic Investment, as well as changing trade society law”, she said.