Disconnection between Hoti and ATK

On January 30th, incumbent Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti in a post on the social Facebook network has said that Kosovo economy “is returning to normal” and that “business speculation has increased markedly”. He added that revenues from the Kosovo Tax Administration in January, 2021 are similar to January 2020.

But from the data ATK has sent to Radio Free Europe doesn't figure the revenues are similar.

According to this ATK data, in January 2020, business circulation was 815,402,903 euros, while in January 2021 it was 363,625,827 euros, which is 451,777,076 less.

Meanwhile, for revenues from Kosovo Customs, Hoti has said that in January 2021 there are 11 per cent higher than January 2020, when there were no pandemics and restrictions.

According to Kosovo Customs data sent Free Europe Radio, there reportedly has been a 10 per cent increase in revenues.

Inflows for this period (January 2021) are 155m euros, meaning growth by last year by 10 percent, since during 2020 we had 140m euros”, says Kosovo Customs data.

Asked by the REL why this increase in revenues has been marked, Kosovo Customs has not provided any explanation.

The incumbent prime minister, Hoti, had said that Kosovo's economy is returning to normalcy as a result of the 2020 recovery package of 365m euros, the restoration law that has mobilised immediately in December over 200m euros per citizen, the 2021 in many of the 222m euros that have begun to be implemented, as well as the effects of diaspora spending in December last year.

Trust Money, a Temporary Infusion

As for the Law on Economic Recovery, which enabled the withdrawal of 10 per cent of the Pension Savings Trust by contributing citizens, according to Kosovo Business Alliance Chairman Agim Sahini, has been a temporary infusion.

He tells Radio Free Europe that in January Trust money has affected the growth of business circulation, but those tools are now limited, as most have only withdrawn money and spent in January.

“Viti has begun well, but now when there are no means in circulation from the Trust, as well as the diaspora has been reduced by its investments in Kosovo, we are expected to return to the situation we have been in last year. According to our analysis, economic recovery takes two to three years, and that depends on the future government on what priorities it will have on the government programme”, he says.

Over 420 thousand citizens withdrew 10 per cent from Trust

There are close to 200m euros that have been attracted by over 420 thousand contributing citizens to the Kosovo Pension Savings Fund, it has reported on Radio Free Europe, Jeton Demi, spokesperson at the institution.

He has said the application process is still ongoing, but with low intensity, with about 100 applications per day.

The deadline for application is April 6, 2021.

The value of tools at the Kosovo Pension Savings Fund has reached over 2 billion euros, with about 690 thousand contributions.

Otherwise, as a result of COVID -19, the International Monetary Fund, in its latest report published in February of this year, has estimated that Kosovo in 2020 has marked economic decline of up to 6 percent.

Meanwhile, this international financial mechanism has seen economic growth in 2021 no more than 4.5 percent.