From 2 to 8 hours in darkness

Businesses in this municipality have already placed generators in front of their locals, which are exploiting them due to long hours of power cuts.

The mayor of Prizren, Shacir Totaj, says power cuts are causing problems to citizens and businesses in this municipality.

He announced that during Friday day he met with the KED director in Prizren, who says he has expressed grief that the entire neighbourhood has remained in the dark for days.

“I'm trying to believe that with careful management, we're going to have improvements in this nature. Yet, lack of electricity causes both production and household disorders. According to the director of KED, the arrival of exiles also burdens the issue because they mainly use electricity for heating, and this then increases the pressure further... I just can't tell you anything because at one point there are two hours, at a time of three, it depends on the part of the city, as well, on the network, it depends on the trafostration. All of these are parameters which influence to have an electrical supply stabilisation or”, Totaj says.

Prizren's leader says that as a municipality, they have nothing to do with it but address citizens' and businesses' complaints about the difficulties they are facing as a result of electricity reductions.

It is citizens who express anger at the long reductions of electricity, which require the Kosovo government to make a solution.

Arjeta Celine Makasqi says they have been facing more than 18 hours with a lack of electricity. This situation says it recalls post-war time when the country had numerous power reductions.

Yesterday we're a disaster, there's 12, 15, 18 hours in some of Prizren's neighborhoods. This is a total disaster and you've called us a people after the war we've had, these are the trauma for citizens, they're a disaster for Kosovo economies. Where's the current we've been following so far, please from the government or who should be the ones to answer us to come out and give us... We've been powered out right after the war, 3 hours we have, 3 hours we don't have, and now after 15 years this is happening to us”, she says.

Without electricity for hours, the househouses located in the center of town are also left. The representative of one of the establishments that are located at the houses, Lirim Gashi, says they cannot work because of the lack of electricity.

It's making us big problems, so we can't work anything out. The break is, for example, yesterday we've had six hours off and no one has taken anything to do... it's very hard to get half of the products until we've powered half of the products we can't use to cure them for consumers”, he says.

On the other hand, citizen Jakup Kabashi says it is unacceptable to have power cuts for hours these winter days.

There was no electricity in the morning, and in the evening two hours and something lasted. So what's holding us especially at age is not to say without responsibility but it's not right at this time don't turn around and that's a state responsibility. So, you're presenting problems to us in the house appliances, nervous people, what else is our life? Come on, we're dealing with it somehow, but they're looking for economics or the economy is blocking, which is blacker”, he said.

Even Erion Markaj says it is unacceptable to have this reduction for almost eight hours during the day.

There's eight or nine hours after power cuts, problems have caused us a lot because at home or in business, electricity reductions and continued electricity cuts are a problem... with paying bills we're very regular, any receipts coming from KEDs we pay, but we're not happy with the frequent electricity reductions because it brings us many problems. Frequent reductions for some citizens are a major obstacle, because some citizens are filigree tradesmen, and it brings you a lot of trouble for filigree equipment”, he said.

The global energy crisis has caused electricity reductions to return since last week's Thursday in Kosovo. The guideline for the launching of electricity reduction has given Kosovo's System, Transmission and Electricity Market operator (KOSTT) due to the overload of the electromagnetic system. / KP