Thousands of jobs were lost and thousands of businesses closed

While economic responsibilities estimate that the economic damages caused by the pandemic -- at the Statistical Agency of Kosovo -- are estimated to be around 400,000.

While in the Kosovo Afarism Oda shows that the shock in the economy is huge and according to their estimates, 600,000 citizens have lost their jobs and have not been financially supported by the state.

Deputy chief chief of the Kosovo Statistics Agency, Ilir Berisha, says of Kosova Preris, that pandemics as if every country in the world has influenced Kosovo's economy, especially in job loss and a decline in the activities of many businesses.

Berisha points out that the decline in employment and economic activity in 2020 was from March, then to reach lower levels in April.

As he added that the trend of restitution as it was in advance started in June and continuing with a more or less same trend until December.

The “has had an impact, normal that has obvious impact, especially the lowest level has reached in April, and if we refer to an average according to the Tax Administration data for a number of employees for approximately 340 thousand who are declared in ATK, it has been 300 thousand, including all employed”, says Berisha.

According to Berisha, there has been a decline in the Local Product (GDP), in the second and third quarter, and thus impacts on the economy during 2020 were great.

Berisha has also indicated a sharp decline in economic activity in some sectors, but which, according to him, does not have large numbers of business closures.

Our <x0).

Kosovo's Oda of Afarism Board Chairman Skender Krasniqi tells Kosovo Press that the pandemic has caused a serious situation for the economy, workers and businesses.

Krasniqi added there was not enough support for workers and businesses.

There's a drastic decline in the number of workers, we have a drop in revenues from businesses as well as the state... There is no other need to examine the demands, discussion and approval in order to overcome this major and serious crisis that we are in, which is business, but there are workers and families who are not supported when they are out of work. Meanwhile, we know that in the second three months of last year, 60 thousand jobs have been lost, 600,000 families are out of work, and no cents are supported as unemployed. This is a severe blow that has happened to citizens, workers and families, but even businesses find it difficult if there is no support and recover from the heavy shock that has taken place”, Krasniqi points out.

He has demanded that the law on economic recovery should be implemented overall, and, as he says, greater will from MPs and the new government for the support of citizens and businesses.

At this time, however, pandemic increased only the level of goods exported abroad.

Kosovo's Statistics Agency also indicated the foreign trade trend, which is estimated to have had a 24 per cent increase in exports to imports.

The January <x0.>Exports January (December 2020) compared to 2019 have had a 24 per cent increase, while in imports there has been a 5.7 per cent decline and when we publish as economic informer the trade balance and the percentage of evolution in 2020 has increased this percentage of export coverage by 14 per cent, although it still remains low, while in 2019 it was 11 per cent. Trade balance has improved for 9.4 per capita compared to 2019”, Berisha says.

Despite raising prices for family basket products, including pharmaceutical products in the pandemic, Berisha says there was no inflation in 2020.