PDK: Delayed and Lacked Economic Measures of Downloaded Government, Country Threatened · Global Voices

These provisions, though necessary, are too late. We are in the third week now of the COVIDD-19 virus's appearance in Kosovo, and these steps would have to be overcome much earlier, to minimize the damage of pandemic to the Kosovo economy.

 The Democratic Party of Kosovo has sometimes raised the alarm for the threat that comes to our economy from pandemic. In the continuation of the concrete proposals we have made as the PDK for the government, we have said it is necessary that the state budget immediately release the Special Emergency Fund, which will enable the undertaking of quick and necessary measures for economic damages through the adoption of a financial package for private sector businesses and workers, worth at least 300m euros. And that's why we've also provided the precise financial patterns and actions that should be taken immediately.

But the government did not take into account our proposals, and yesterday it published several other measures, which will not be able to address at the proper and necessary level the economic crisis.

 We consider that the government-proposed package measures on the run are not enough to withstand the size of pandemic. We are also not sure that the government will implement even the flawed measures it has proposed.

 In accordance with the law and the Constitution, since yesterday, the incumbent prime minister would have to call on the extraordinary session of the Kosovo Parliament to make the completion and amendment of the 2020 Budget Law. There is no other legal way to allocate tens of millions of euros for expenses that are not in advance in current law. To realise the proposed payments, the budget review is inevitable and this must happen immediately.

 At the time the government has lost the parliamentary majority, this review can only occur in co-ordination with all parliamentary parties. Despite the 2020 budget was approved in a non-aligned manner, behind the back of opposition deputies, as the PDK expresses our readiness to participate at any time in the session to enable the adoption of measures that facilitate the very difficult economic situation, especially of private sector businesses and workers.

 We are now at the end of March, and private sector workers rightly expect to receive their salaries, just like public sector workers. It is the government's priority responsibility in office that citizens' uncertainty about their health and their families do not burden them with economic and financial uncertainty.

 We remember here that in a situation where the country's economy was going into collapse, when thousands of businesses risked bankruptcy, when tens of thousands of citizens who could not go to work were getting out of income for their families, the minister of economy of this government, Mrs. Hajdari publicly stated that the government did not feel responsibility for the situation, since, according to her, “has not brought this government coronary”.

 It should also be noted that the adoption of the budget occurred at the time that it had already been declared to a global level the coronary pandemic. And the government's reasoning was that the budget should be passed without regular legal procedures to cope with the challenges of pandemic in Kosovo. But that was a false reasoning that testified to the fact that no budgetary division and no funds were provided for emergency needs to cope with the economic and financial crisis of businesses and citizens. Consequently, late proposed measures should also become part of the Budget Law, only through its revision of the Assembly. Otherwise, those measures will remain only on paper and only as a next fraud of this outgoing government.

 Therefore, by listening to the concerns of economic efforts and representatives of private sector workers, we have proposed concrete measures that are in line with real demands and opportunities to support the private sector and the country's economy. 

 Among the measures we have proposed and should be replaced as part of the Financial Pack are:

 1. The government's payment of an optimum salary for private sector workers. It should not be reference to minimum wage, but average salaries in the private sector. The 170-euro salary is too small, especially at this time of crisis. Private sector workers should not be treated as social categories, but as significant contributors to our economy. Our proposal is that the salary for private sector workers should be 300 euros;

 2. The extensions for the salaries of workers who are on the front lines in the fight against the Coronavirus must be 300 euros per month per each. These should include health personnel, police personnel, firemen, KSF soldiers, corrective service personnel, market Inspectorate personnel, Sanitarian Inspectorate, etc. Also, 150 euros should be shared for public enterprise workers, central and municipal level, connected with basic services such as water supply and electricity, at a time when the staff of these companies are on the ground every day, to ensure the continued supply of citizens with these necessary services;

 3. Establishing an 80m-euro emergency credit line with zero interest and a 2-year return period for businesses damaged by the stock measures due to the pandemic, so that they can cover current expenditures and recover after normal return;

 4. To subsidise paying business rents that have been closed due to the crisis to the extent of at least 50% of the cost;

 5. Establishing a humanitarian fund of at least 40m euros to finance food supply and essential products for needed categories, as well as to cover the costs of drugs for citizens over 60 years of age;

 Despite the irresponsible shown so far by this outgoing government, and despite the delay in taking measures to support the country's economy, as well as seeing the serious threat of instability, the Democratic Party of Kosovo calls for co-ordination with the government in office to take the necessary emergency measures to avoid economic collapse. 

 Delays in taking preventive measures to distribute the virus in the country should not be forwarded with delays in making legal decisions to ease the financial burden of our citizens and Kosovo businesses, which are pillars of our economy. The PDK will be supportive of taking the upper measures and whatever measures benefit the country's citizens, and we are willing to support in the Kosovo Assembly revising the Budget Law immediately, so that the Financial Package is as comprehensive and efficient as it helps restore our economy.