Alarmed decline in ATK, Customs and the diaspora

The ATK from January to May, has been running around 220m euros, which for administration director Ilir Murtezaj, this inflow has been accomplished in very difficult times.

He says the decline in revenues from the pandemic is about 50m euros, which points out that it is now difficult to recover from this part of the means.

For six months it is still the legal and legal deadline for tax statements and payment, and we do not have the official data yet confirming the six-month period. For five months we have official data that we've had invested an estimated 216m euros that is an intrepidly realised at a serious time. Months and months of May and June, as specific months, have resulted in exceeded expectations for these two months, but the month of March and April have been about 49m euros”, the total of incomplete incomes expected for March and April has been around 49 million euros, he said.

Even in Kosovo Customs during the January-June months, 473 million have been reported, until the same period last year was 526 million.

“During the reporting period for all import regimes, taxes have marked reductions to many of 52m and 472 thousand and 255 euros, or said 9,97%”, Dogans spokesperson Adriatic Stavileci tells Kosovo.

Economy expert Safet Gerjaliu, meanwhile, has said of KosovoPress that Kosovo as a consequence of pandemic is facing an economic and social pandemic.

Gerjaliu also says the decline of revenues in ATK, Dogan and the diaspora is disturbing for the country.

The fact that we have income contractions in Kosovo Tax Administration, the fact that we have contractions even in Kosovo Customs, and that we do not have the contributions of the diaspora indirectly with their presence in Kosovo. This proves best that the situation in Kosovo is truly alarming. Kosovo needs money in circulation, must find mechanisms not only to support businesses, but also citizens... Even further, we think that the interests of the state are political interests and specific interest groups. It must be understood that Kosovo is in an emergency situation, even though it is not an extraordinary situation. When we have an emergency situation, all forces need to mobilize in the interest of the state and citizens, but unfortunately, that is not happening”, Gerjaliu said.

This year there have been inflows from 140m euros or 14 per cent less compared to the same period last year, while this decline is expected to deepen further in pandemic times.

While in a report by the GAP institute titled “changes to Kosovo's budget as a consequence of the COVID-19” pandemic, it is said that Kosovo's budget revenues in January-May 2020, according to MF data, were around 621m euros or 106m euros (14.6%) lower than in the same period in 2019.24. However, only in the March-May period of this year, which represents the period of the COVIID-19, when most private and public sector activities in Kosovo were halted, budget revenues were 337m euros, or 133m euros, or 28.2% lower in March-May 2019.

These data shows that the decline in budget revenues, as expected, was caused in the pandemic period when economic activity was small. If this decline in the pandemic were not to be neutralised to a degree by good performance during January and February, about 27m euros more than in the previous year, then the decline of budget revenues in the first five months of2020 would be even higher”, the report said.