Over a thousand businesses apply to benefit from emergency packages

To date, 368 thousand euros have been collected from the Kosovo diaspora after the incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti's request for exiles to help the government with financial means to fight the Coronavirus.

Deputy Minister of Finance and Transfers Ilir Aliu says this amount of tools from the diaspora is on the rise constantly.

Aliu talking about “Emergency Pack”, says of KosovaPress, that this 180m-euro package has started to be implemented in part since March, while adding that they have so far applied over 1 businesses to benefit from the 1.3 measures, which have had financial difficulties in paying their workers.

Aliu says that “Emergency Package” has been designed to avoid problems that people have, especially financial problems and certain social levels, as well as to help businesses that need because of the situation created by the wordience Individual-19.

As for families who are unemployed and who do not benefit from any social scheme, he has said they may soon apply to receive 130 euros per month, specifically in the months of March, April and May.

All those in need of financial means and are infected by the stops we've made or by the problems that are born of the coronary, have a procedure that can through the ATK app to register and their demands will be considered within 15 days. I mean all the measures. Mass 15, is one of the most likely measures because it includes a category of people who have been almost at no one's mercy. It is unfair to have a citizen in Kosovo who is not «registered somewhere for any social scheme as small as it would be. Initially, they must be registered to the Employment Agency, after the census a form must be filled that exists electronically and in social welfare institutions, not the ATK. The formula appears on the page of the Ministry of Finance. If he's out today, he'll be out soon, these days. It's complete, citizens can open and complete, but this form can be taken physically and delivered”, Aliu says.

According to him, companies that have faced difficulties in paying workers after the created situation have begun to apply, where in 15 days they will receive the answer from a finance and transfer commission.

Until yesterday there were over a thousand apps made for this measure of 1.1.3). The time when an application ends is a commission that examines everything. Within 15 days, they will surely receive the answer. We have as planned, payments will certainly take place in April for all measures we have launched”, he declares.

The ministry of finance and transfers is also creating a package for economic recovery, but according to Ali, initially those industries that need financial support from a fund that will be higher than the emergency one.

The way we're dealing with this problem, it's in two stages. Stage one is this package that we discussed about the emergency we have. The second package, however, deals with economic recovery. We've already started our conversations. We've made a design of what the package will look like for economic recovery. We have also invited all who can contribute as internal and external experts. Economic talks and all who have ideas about how economic recovery should look. We invite them to join the team. So, it's on the map, the package, when it's going to come out, the date we can't say, because we don't know how long this pandemic is going to last... first we have to identify those industries that have to support, what are the needs of the entrepreneurs, and then there's a general plan for all of this. Depending on it, the calculations will take place, and how much money we need to make the recovery and then the implementation. For many, I wouldn't have mentioned, but the sum will be much bigger than this emergency package”, Aliu says.

Although, at the rate of 6 of the Emergency Pack, they are included with a 300-euro salary supporting employees who are on the front line in the war with Covis 19, the Ministry of Finance has not included journalists.

Aliu says that due to lack of budget, unfortunately, no journalists have even been selected as doctors, police and customs officers.

If we had had had a budget the average amount of European states 12 billion euros, it would have been too easy. All in Kosovo are providing 500 euros. It's my wish too, but it's not real. But, with the possibilities we've had, we've said that people who are directly at risk from pandemic because of contact with patients. We'll pay him another raise. This interview that you and I are conducting today is important because people need information and I'm more grateful for the work that journalists do, and I really appreciate it, but between the doctor and your journalists, I've chosen the doctor as much as we've had the options of”, he says.

Aliu did not have accurate data on the number of workers without contracts that have applied to benefit from 130 euros in the next three months.

While, the state budget is initially expected to lose about 200m euros, initially from the pandemic.