Diaspora this year expected to be infusion for Kosovo economy

The diaspora this year will be infusion for Kosovo's economy, say connoisseurs of economic issues, adding that the number of exiles to come to Kosovo will be enormous because of the inability to travel last year as a result of pandemic.

Executive director at the Institute for Social Policy “Mousine Koklari”, Visar Ymer, said the diaspora influence on economic growth would be important this year.

I think the odds are that this time it comes in bigger numbers than usual, because we had it last year where they couldn't come because of the pandemic, I believe this time the interest to come to Kosovo will be even greater. This is good news for Kosovo's economy, second, then that the amount of money spent taking into account last year, I think it's going to be even bigger, I believe their growing economic impact has been very important this year. And we're seeing that in other countries generally as countries that are step-by-step after the risk of pandemic, there's been a kind of economic boom, and I think the same thing is going to happen in Kosovo, even because of the exile, but also because of increased internal consumption in general,”, Ymer has declared.

Likewise, Lirim Krasniqi, researcher and policy analyst in the organisation “Germin”, an organisation that deals mainly with diaspora issues, said the diaspora's arrival during the summer season would have a tremendous impact on the economic aspect.

“We believe that it will have a tremendous impact on the economic aspect, these in light of the impact the diaspora has had over the past years, and the diaspora lack during 2020. From an assessment we've made in the past year notes that there have been about 1 million less visitors by the end of August, compared to the previous year, and given that most visitors have come from the airport “Adem Jashari”, we can say there's been a decrease of incomes during the 2020, which are expected to be compensated for this year, where the diaspora is more willing and is easier to come during the summer, and also according to an assessment we've done in the best possible scenario, during the summer season, there's only been 200 million dollars due to the absence of visits in 2020s, and we'll know that the year's long term is going to be in charge of their summer, and that they'll be able to do so far across the summer season.

On the other hand, Krasniqi said local institutions should continue the practice launched last year for removing green cardboard.

Also, according to him, it is important to create administrative facilities and create a more favourable environment for investments from the diaspora.

The “Initially considering that we are also talking about visits during the summer season, a practice should continue that began last year with the removal of the security police or green cards, which is not too big for exiles but serves as a symbolic kind of way to show our welcome and willingness to wait, especially when we consider having had a tremendous loss during the year of pandemic and we need this diaspora tourism to grow in and have a bit of an economic impact. In the meantime, as far as all preconditions are concerned, there is a draft of the Bill allowing diaspora voting through embassies and consulates, which must also create facilities in the sense of attracting investments from the diaspora”.

For 13 years, Kosovo has accepted nearly nine billion euros of remittances. These financial tools sent to Kosovo citizens who live abroad to their families.

Kosovo's government in the four-year government plan has envisioned that through the creation of instruments for investment, diaspora capital be channeled into investments that create jobs. This government plan has been envisioned since the first year of governance to issue treasury bonds dedicated to the diaspora.