Expenses for children far higher than government extensions

Within the framework of the Economic Renewal Pack, the Kosovo government has decided to share additions for children.

According to this decision, for children up to two years of age, parents can receive 20 euros a month. For this category (children born in 2020-2021) have already started applying, and according to government officials, interest is great. The application, on the other hand, to benefit 10 euros in addition for children by the age of 16 will start early next year. According to data from the Kosovo Statistics Agency, in 2020 the number of births has been around 22,000.

In spite of the small amount, Fatmija says she has only applied for the benefit of these additions, even though it shows that the cost to her young son is many higher. According to Fatimes, monthly expenses for her son are the value of the annual additions the Government of Kosovo is sharing.

For me, it's been easier so far since I breast-feeded my son. In July, the boy was a year old and his expenses increased because he started eating other foods. If I only count the expenses for my young son, diapers, food, shampoo, without counting the clothing and visits needed to a doctor, the monthly amount is more than 100 euros. But if he gets sick, his expenses increase. A week ago he was sick and I had him on a visit to the pediatrics and I had to buy 30 euros worth of medicine”, she tells Radio Free Europe.

In addition to the year - old boy, Fatmija has two daughters, eight and ten years old, and her oldest son is over 16. According to her, all of her children have different demands and desires that make expenses high. Only her husband works in the Fatima family and he has a monthly salary of about 500 euros. Until raising children, she says she has suspended capital investments in her home.

ISHPS: Insufficient amount to meet children's needs

The Institute for Social Policy Development (IZHPS) considers the decision on additions of 20, respectively, is relatively small aid, but causes families to feel a bit of the state's hand.

Even the Coalition of Nongovernmental Organisations for Child Protection (KOMF) points out that the actual amount of additions for children is insufficient to meet their needs and recommends that, under budget plans for next year, additions for children are priorities for increasing monthly sums to support children's needs.

Fates Wessel believes that the value of additions must be fivefold in order to cover the child's expenses.

This value should be up to 50 euros, even though it's a little bit for children, but perhaps it would suffice”, she says.

COMMF: Children between 16 and 18 years of age should be included in the scheme

With all the small value, another concern for nongovernmental organisations remains the non-involvement of children between the ages of 16 and 18, as legislation in Kosovo but also the Convention on Child Rights determines child age by the age of 18.

The KOMF through a media communique Tuesday 14 September has proposed that child extension schemes be revised, since the inclusion of this category is necessary, since, according to this organisation, there is no applicable scheme in Kosovo for supporting children aged 16 to 18 or empowering young people.

MF: Extensions will continue

Meanwhile, Shukrije Rama, executive director at the Institute for Social Policy Development, says the Government of Kosovo should clarify whether the separate means will be sustainable.

According to government statements, these vehicles are separated from the Pack for economic recovery and not by a budget line set for the next years. It remains to be seen what will happen with additions for children after the end of the economic package, and who will remain responsible in the future with the management of additions for children”, Rama tells Radio Free Europe.

Finance Ministry officials (MF) have said children's extensions are not limited in time and they will be distributed continuously and are on line with the government programme. On this issue, according to the response sent to Radio Europe Free from this ministry, 3.3m euros are said to have been earmarked.

The Kosovo Government programme 2021-2025 says that “children under the age of two will benefit monthly extensions worth 20 euros, while children under the age of 16 will benefit 10 euros a month”.

In addition promises

Apart from the Vetevendosje Movement, which currently heads the Government of Kosovo, additions for children have been the constant promise of political parties during election campaigns. The former leader of the Democratic Party, at the same time former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci, had promised 300 euros for every newborn child -- a promise that was not realised.

Meanwhile, the initiative for additions of children to the Kosovo Assembly in 2018 had been initiated by the former Kosovo Parliament's delegation from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Donika Kadaj-Bujupi.

She had then declared that it was estimated to benefit about 500,000 children between the ages of 0 and 16, with between 10 and 40 euros a month, depending on the number of children.

Even the government, led by former prime minister, Avdullah Hoti from the Democratic League of Kosovo, in the governing programme at the 13th point, where social protection was talked about, also envisioned the additions for children.

While the application for additions of children has already begun in Kosovo, some of the countries in the region have already adjusted the issue.

Montenegro applies additions to children worth 23 euros to 40 euros -- Serbia from 25 to 46 euros -- from about 17 euros to 40 euros, depending on where they live. Likewise, Albania and Northern Macedonia apply various additions for children.