Hotelery Oda: We're not the site of infection, they're coming from government neglect.

Hoteleria and Tourism Oda has reacted following Kosovo Government's decision on new anti-tour measures - COVID-19, saying the hotel-gastronomy has not been and is not the hearth of infections.

The OHT emphasises how the sector is the most damaged and unbacked by Kosovo institutions.

There has been no subsidy to these sectors, even a small aid that has been the VAT% one has already been raised back to 18%”, it says in response.

Full response:

Now, how many days we've been able to find out that unfortunately the case with Ovid 19 has grown a lot in our country.

The measures have never been eased for the hotel and gastronomy sector, restrictions on these sectors have always been present, were not allowed to work on full capacity, faced strict measures and numerous unreasonable sentences.

As always, once again new measures have been taken without consulting organizations or associations that represent businesses, and these measures as usual only through our social networks or media!

Why didn't businesses work so far with full capacities, why the weddings were not released and no measure was eased even for the holiday season, despite our demands and pressures!

Despite this, the cases grew - and this time as never before!

And with this conclusion, the hotel/gastronomy has not been and it's not an infection case.

In addition to these, we have to resurface that as a sector we are the most injured, and the most unbacked by the institutions of Kosovo, so there has been no subsidy to these sectors, even a little bit of help that has been the VAT% one has now been raised back to 18%!

And let's not talk about the daily punishments that occur, with special emphasis on the attaining of electricity, which has already caused enormous damage to citizens or businesses.

That is because only electricity prices have been increased and no relief has been made to businesses, no subvention, no salary increases to workers!

Not to delay the rise in cases of the infected is a disaster, and all of this is due to government neglect of both public health and economic health.

We're again calling on you to listen to us, consult with business representatives and direct businesses, because we're the ones who see problems closely, we know business woes, and it would be good for our thoughts or proposals to be taken into account, not to act that way because problems and damage are increasing every day!