Hundreds of businesses re-open but still no sale

The relief of measures during the Covid 19 pandemic has led many stores of different access stores to open early in the week. But the damage to the two-month deadlock is continuing to be obvious, as citizens' interest despite the opening is small.

Owners of these shops say the movement-restriction measures are making citizens' attendance pending.

And they are welcomed to reopen the economy and market to buy the necessities.

Kosova Prees has stayed at several stores, where their owners say the first week of sale after the pandemic has been zeroly profitable, until they stressed that if it continues with this citizens' disinterest, bankruptcy prospects are great.

Lulzim Bosniak, owner of the store “Relax Mode”, shows that the first week they started a solid job, whereas the losses were obvious. :

This week after the pandemic, which we started working on Monday, we started with a solid job, much better than we were completely closed. We expect the next few days when other businesses are opened, people's circulation and interest increased... losses have been evident because of the closure of the business, while all other expenses have usually continued... the only support we've had on the part of the government, with the emergency package worth 170 Euro-<1>, he says.

He hopes that by June, citizens' interest will return.

Homeland Latifi, store owner “Shopping Family” says that only on the first day after reopening have there been few sales, while there has been no circulation in the other days.

He stressed that this disinterest of citizens in clothing is hurting them greatly.

There's been some circulation at first, Monday since we opened it because people needed it, but then there was no circulation, and I believe that only for personal needs do I believe people are coming out these days... We're also expecting this second phase that has to happen to 18, if that doesn't happen I think that in July, we have expectations because it's hurting us a lot”, he says.

Other business owners in the capital, unwilling to be promoted to cameras, say that if they continue at this rate, they will be forced to shut down shops.

Kosovo Producers Club Chairman Astrit Panja says private sector revenues are down, which has contributed to the decline in purchasing power and therefore has reduced consumption.

If we don't get any faster with the recovery plan in phase two, then we'll have even bigger difficulties because there's a huge drop in consumption... Private sector revenues are down, and this has affected the purchasing power of the citizens of Kosovo, and therefore we have reduced consumption, in addition to essential things such as food and hygienic products, other sectors have serious falls due to the decline of purchasing power”, he said.

He stressed that at this stage we have to help producers and businesses with grants and loans.

“Should be driven by the size of the grants to support businesses means small and medium-sized businesses, then look at the support of manufacturing businesses that have potential export, by giving you credit and credit, and these are tax advantages going on with tax incentives and this should then be continued with capital investments”, he says.

Otherwise, relief measures are expected to take place after May 18th. While, the Finance Ministry has launched discussions on another package of support after the pandemic.