Journalists backed you 300 euros, while owners with 400 euros for three months

The Kosovo Media Institute has asked the incumbent Kosovo government to support journalists from 300 euros for 3 months, as well as media owners of 400 euros. Until the Independent Media Commission has asked that licensed media be released from the annual tax.

This request The IPC unveiled it at the conference on the Kosovo Government's measures to support the private sector of businesses, which is considered discriminatory against Kosovo's private media.

Kosovo Institute of Media board Chairman Fazli Veliu said it would be incorrect for Kosovo media not to be backed by the government in this difficult pandemic situation in the country.

According to him, if the government does not provide support, then some 50 local media are at risk of closing down and about 400 workers will be out of work.

As IPC, Veliu said they ask the government for journalists to support 300 euros for three months, while media owners of 400 euros.

“would be incorrect if the Government of Kosovo does not support the media in this difficult situation we are going through as a people. We ask the Kosovo government to support journalists with additional 300 euros' salary for March, April, May, and as well as the 400-euro media owners who have obligations to public servants companies from ATK and other companies. To remove the license tax for all licensed media in the KPM. Media work on the ground not only poses direct risks to their work, but they are also endangering their families from a potential infection. I call on the Government of Kosovo to share a budget for Kosovo media”, Veliu said.

Meanwhile, Institute board member Nedmedin Spahiu requested from the Independent Media Commission that licensed media be free of annual taxes.

The most normal thing for this situation would be that for this year, the media licensed by the Independent Media Commission of Kosovo to be released from the annual tax obligation, this is a contribution that goes proportionally with all the media in Kosovo depending on the weight it has and the tax it pays, and it is an absurdity that exists here in Kosovo that Kosovo media should be licensed to work on the Kosovo market, while foreign media enter without license on the Kosovo market and they pay no tax... Advertisements have been completely absent on most television and radio except on several televisions of «Pristina, which has been given ads on how to protect from the Corona virus, actually in March wages should be given, obligations should be carried out because the media most of them have functioned normally, but that income is zero”, Spahiu said.

While Agron Bajrami, deputy chairman of the Kosovo Media Institute, said this contribution to media is not a big burden for the state wallet.

The “would not be a huge burden for Kosovo's budget because it is about 400 workers for all media, radio and local television. As an Institute, we have also seen the response of Kosovo journalists' associations, the Association of Journalists. We are focused on protecting all journalists' rights, but with particular focus on media protection that are out of focus for media working in small municipalities and in villages”, he said.

Meanwhile, the incumbent government of Kosovo has already adopted an emergency package worth 170.6m euros, which is aimed at helping businesses and citizens damaged by the presentation of the COVIID-19 virus in this package, while the Kosovo Journalists' Association has asked the government to take measures to engage journalists, photoreporters, cameramen in the government's emergency package.