Waiting for 300 euros

Also, the grant to many of the 200m euros, for direct financial assistance to businesses that have difficulty operating as a result of the impact of the coronary pandemic, says Deputy Finance Minister Agim Krasniqi.

Based on the Law on Economic Recovery, which was adopted on December 4th in the Kosovo Assembly, all private sector workers registered as unemployed, who have been in working relations until September 2020, but since October 2020, have been released from the employer as a result of the COVID -19 influence, must be paid on the part of the government by 300 euros, at least for three months.

The 2021 budget approval is required before the assembly is distributed and the country goes to the polls, following the December 21st Constitutional Court decision, which declared the election of the Kosovo government led by Avdullah Hoti unconstitutional.

Azem: Outgoing workers look forward to promised means

Yusuf Azem, chairman of the independent private sector Union, tells Radio Free Europe that workers who left their jobs are eagerly waiting for the government's promised means in office, as this would help them.

He said that since March 13th, when the first Coronavirus cases in Kosovo were presented and after the introduction of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, about 60 thousand workers who lost their jobs.

“The workers have high expectations that the means will be split quickly because they do not know that the Law for Economic Recovery cannot be implemented without budget approval 2021x1>, Azemi said.

Even Berat Rukiqi of Kosovo's Economic Oda says the 2021 Project should be approved before the distribution of the Kosovo Assembly, as the government's 200m-euro grant would facilitate business work.

“All businesses are pending and it would be a major disappointment and blow for business”, he points out.

Krasniqi: Cannot execute tools

On the other hand, Agim Krasniqi, the acting deputy minister of finance, tells Radio Free Europe that no move as direct assistance from the government can begin without the budget passed for 2021.

If the budget law is not adopted, no measure that is related to public finance issues can be implemented in the share of economic recovery. Only other measures are implemented, which are to withdraw means from the Kosovo Pension Savings Fund or the Fund for Credit Guarantee and other policies that are not budget-related. But no measure that is direct assistance from the government can start without the 2021” budget being adopted, Krasniqi said.

Kosovo's acting prime minister, Avdullah Hoti, he said he has contacted all parliamentary groups of the Kosovo Assembly and expects answers and readiness on the issue.

“We are in a specific situation, on the eve of elections, it is not good to enter January without an approved budget. A draft budget prepared in the best possible way is in the assembly, let's order parliamentary groups if they have different suggestions on that draft budget and adopt”, Hoti said Wednesday during a visit he paid to the nongovernmental organisation, “Hendikos”.

Murati: Cannot vote Project on unconstitutional Government

But, Iron Murati, deputy in Kosovo's Parliament by the opposition Movement Vetevendosje party, says it is impossible that the draft of a government in office, which he is, as it were, is a “illegal and unconstitutional government”, will be put to the polls.

“It is necessary that the date of the elections be set as early as possible, in order that a new government, with full legitimacy, can hand over the new budget at the time”, Murati said.

On the other hand, representatives of the Democratic Party of Kosovo have so far not responded to Radio Free Europe as to whether they will vote the Project before the assembly's distribution.

Call for approval of the budget before new parliamentary elections has also been made by the European Union.

It is especially important that the 2021 budget is approved and passed by this composition of the assembly as soon as possible”, an EU spokesman said.

The budgetary division bill has been brought to the assembly on the part of the government and is being considered by the Parliamentary Commission for Budget and Transfers.

OVR: No danger to the vaccine

Acting Minister of Infrastructure Arba Abrashi of the Democratic League of Kosovo has declared on Tuesday, December 22nd that the budget is related even to the purchase of the vaccine against COVIED-19, the disease caused by the new coronary.

However, the Ministry of Health says the vaccine insurance process is not at risk without considering how events will take place about the 2020 Project.

“The Law on Combating COVID-19 obliges institutions to provide financial support for vaccines and other protection tools against COVID-19. Moreover, the first vaccines will be obtained as long as donations are provided, as for others, tools and financing mechanisms” are pre-defined, said MSH spokesman Faik Hoti without specifying what those mechanisms are.

Budget Bill For next year it was projected to worth 2.4 billion euros.

On the basis of legal procedures, the deadline for the 2021 draft approval of Kosovo Assembly deputies is December 31st.

If the budget is not approved by this date, on the basis of legal procedures, the assembly by a decision could authorise continued implementation of the Law for last year's budgetary divisions.

Last year's budgetary division law, in no case, can continue to be implemented for longer than three months next year's fiscal year.