Infected with COVID-19, waiting for money from municipalities

Pristina's Municipal Assembly, a few months after presenting Corleone cases in Kosovo, had adopted a decision that its citizens, under the age of 65, infected with coronarys, had come to the aid of 50 euros, while pensioners with 100 euros.

However, Krasniqi says it was nine months ahead of these means.

I performed the COVID in the fifth month of last year and nothing, no money came out. I don't know where to complain about that 50 euros anymore. There is no money this 50 euros, there should be 300, 400 euros to cover those household expenses. Six family members have been closed”, Krasniqi told Radio Free Europe.

Even the Uttullah, retired, is awaiting 100 euros, since he was also affected by COVID-19.

And we were with COVID-19. We applied and no one took the money from the municipality. Five tests I did cost 37.30 euros. Even on Saturday, I did a test to see if I had antibodies. It cost me a lot of money, and I'm a pensioner, and I'm”, Jetullahu said.

On the other hand, curing from the koronavirus can cost over 500 euros.

Comuns waiting for tool transport

About 23,000 Pristina citizens have applied for this financial assistance, among which 2,819 pensioners have been involved. So far, Pristina's total municipality has paid 467,100 euros and 106.450 euros are expected to realise for 1,824 citizens who find themselves verified and secured, Pristina municipality deputy head Muhedin Nushi told Radio Free Europe.

He acknowledged that there are delays in accessing means from municipalities to citizens, and one of the reasons is the time required for verifying citizens belonging to the Pristina municipality.

We have so far had about 800 cases where citizens from other municipalities have applied for this assistance, so we need to be very careful how we're distributing this public money. It means, it takes a citizen patience, and the second of us are waiting for last year's means to be carried. This will be done at the assembly meeting. I believe that at the next meeting of the Municipal Assembly (in March), it will be one of the day's agenda points, where another 4 million will be approved, which have not been exploited by last year”, Nushi said.

Until February 28th, 27.302 Pristina citizens have been affected by the Coronavirus.

Financial assistance for contact with COVIED-19, in November of last year, has also promised the South Mitrovica municipality, with 50 euros each citizen. Citizens are still waiting for money.

The deputy head of this municipality, Faruk Mujka, told Radio Free Europe that the decision on this aid was taken after Kosovo's incumbent government had pledged support for municipalities and assistance for economic recovery.

And we are barred from using the means for that purpose, and we have now decided that the payments will be made from private revenues, which are made during March. We will ask the municipal assemblyers to approve and this fee for citizens to be made by the municipality's own revenues”, Mujka said.

In South Mitrovica, from November to December last year, over 1,000 citizens have applied for this assistance.

Otherwise, Kosovo's incumbent government, in its 2021 economic recovery programme, has planned additional assistance or support for Kosovo municipalities in managing the situation created by the COVID-19. The sum of 7,900,000 euros has been allocated to municipalities.