NKEC “Financial bleeding” that didn't stop even the Kurti Government

The New Energy Company of Kosovo (NKEC) was established as an operational society in 2018 by the then Government, with the aim of obtaining all electricity produced by the thermal power plant “New Kosovo”, as mediating between the Government of Kosovo and Contour Global, this company that was committed to the construction of the thermal power plant, Periskopi reports.

After withdrawing the government and breaking the contract with Contour Global, the NKEC company would have to finish the job, but now close to 4 years this company continues to function even though it does not do any work.

The NKEC Business and Budget Plan for 2021 dated 30.10.20 says that “NKEC is a company that monitors construction of T C Kosova e Re, with the mission of meeting the safety of electricity supply. This is a new languid thermal power plant, which is scheduled to be built with an expected gross capacity of 50. NKEC sells it to suppliers under the terms of the Agreement on Buying bilateral Energy and excess to other suppliers inside and outside Kosovo”.

So, from this description, in the NKEC Plan it turns out that this company's mission is currently unalterable and is not in line with the energy government's orientations, while it attributes itself to duties and responsibilities that do not apply to its obligations that arise from the Energy Buying Agreement between the Government of Kosovo and Contour Global, where it was pre-founded.

According to the ZKA Research Report for the New Energy Company, completed with 31.12.2019, this Public Company had only spent 88,725.00 on the Board of Chief Executive Chief and two employees.

The audience had recommended that since 2019, if it gives up the New Kosovo thermal construction project, the Board of Directors in co-operation with Government (the shareholder) must have clear vision that it knows it will be the future of the company.

Two years of this recommendation, NKEC continues to function without a warrant. Moreover, according to budget plan for 2021, NKEC had planned expenses of 702,954.00 euros, of which 452,970,000 euros for the staff it was planning to engage, although with the withdrawal of Global Contour from the project, the existence of this company has become unnecessary.

Periscop has sent questions to the Ministry of Economy to understand whether there is any work report from this company and how much it costs Kosovo's budget to function, but now and weeks have not returned.

Meanwhile, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has declared he wants to stop the financial bloodshed in public companies, but it does not seem to be worth it. NKEC, which works without a job, writes Periscope.

We remember that, the Government of Kosovo at the end of 2017 had reached the commercial agreement with the American company “Contour Global”, for the construction of the “New Kosova” with a capacity of 500 megawatts.

But, the American company Contour Global, which was selected by the government for the construction of the plant, on March 17th 2020, has announced that it has withdrawn from the plan for the construction of the thermal power plant and has indicted Kosovo government at the International Arbitrazhi Court for breaking the contract.

New Kosovo's <x0 power plant” was meant to start building by 2020, while operating in 2023 and building it would cost 1.3 billion euros./Periscopi/