Government budget, health and economy priorities

Finance Ministry Deputy Minister Agim Krasniqi has said that with the new priority budget, health and economic sector has been given.

Krasniqi in an interview for Kosovo Press, says the review of the budget opens the way for completion of obligations left by the emergency package and implementation of the programme for economic recovery.

The primary priority is people's health and economic health being maintained. When I'm saying citizens' health, it's that additional funds have been allocated to the health sector and other sectors that have public health interconnection as if it's the police. In addition to these regular divisions, there is also the share of credit borrowing that will take place for the Ministry of Health worth 35m euros. Of course, there will be a new fund to be saved in case we have continued current situation. So it's the health part that matters. Meanwhile, the rest of the important part is that we are carrying out total obligations under the Emergency Pack and for that which is due”, Krasniqi says.

Until the budget is down for 5.5m euros for the military, Krasniqi says no project has been removed from the 2020 budget, while for the defence sector there may be cuts as a number compared to the preliminary budget.

He has added that budget cuts among other budget organisations are also around 100m euros.

If we look at the entire budget we've increased to total expenditures, we've also increased funds, because it had to provide around 617m euros to cover under income performance and cover the new additional expenses. Even to create the 385m-euro economic recovery fund. So the cut has happened in capital investments as long as we're sure the projects cannot be executed. Even in the defence sector if a project moves faster and more quickly we have the opportunity to intervene through reserve funds or through regular budgetary re-regulations that are allowed, as 25 neighbours are deliberately misunderstood... There may also be KSF cuts as a number compared to the original budget, but that doesn't mean we've made it happen. KSF to realize its objectives. In the past two years usually the KSF, unfortunately the investment budget by October has been realised very little”, Krasniqi points out.

While after decreeing the Law on the budget, it has shown that salaries of 170 euros for workers and other categories will be paid Monday.

To respond to the needs of citizens, Deputy Minister Krasniqi has said implementing the budget law starts from Monday, including fully measures for workers from Pack Emergency, as well as the process of implementing some economic recovery measures.

All of these I believe can be realized in the next week, so the obligations we have in relation to package measures begin and can be realised within the week... All obligations begin to be implemented by Monday and believe by the end of the week most of the commitments will be completed next week. And then we start with measures related to economic recovery which is a process that will start now and end next year”, Krasniqi said.

While, for remittances, Krasniqi has said that there is still no way of saying there is an increase in remittances from the diaspora, as it is claimed because they are not channeled through commercial banks.