The opposition criticises the government for the Security Fund: Growing Doubts About Misuse of Tools

In order to increase the budget for the military, the government of Kosovo at the outset opened the Security Fund, where citizens from the country and diaspora can contribute even further.

Government has decided to keep it a secret.

By security experts and the opposition, this is considered an unfair step, adding doubts about the possibility of misuse of funds.

A few days after the start of the Russia-Ukrainian war, the Kosovo government decided to open the Security Fund, where exiles and citizens from the country could contribute even further. In Article 2, of the fund's founding act, <x0mmables will be used for the field of defence and security, security infrastructure, natural disaster management, or similar, based on the Government's assessment”.

Since its opening, in addition to some individual donations publication, there is officially no public record of how much money has been collected so far. Details of the collected means are confidential, government spokeswoman Rosafa Kelmendi has said in a written response to Radio Kosovo.

Based on professional assessments that take national security into account and in accordance with the Law on Information Classification and Security Verification, data and other details on the amount of tools collected in the Security Fund are classified as confidential. We assure citizens that the means will be managed with high accountability and will be spent only on the purpose of which Fund” was created, Kelmendi said, as he invited citizens to continue to respond positively to the call to contribute to this fund.

Security expert Drizan Shala, says that the rating of funding data as a secret is not the right move.

This fund is classified as top-secret by the Government. I don't think this is the right act, because it's, after all, a public fund. This is very disturbing in terms of possible misuse of this fund, because as you know, it's not particularly precise for the defence and security sector, but it's also the aspect of civil emergencies. And this allows space for this fund to be used for some political point”, he said.

On the other hand, Shala says the most likely way would be to establish the funding by law from the Parliament. So does the MP. The PDK, member of the Commission for Security and Defence Affairs, Hisen Berisha, who doubts whether all means will be used for the military.

It is extremely unnecessary to hide the money citizens give for their army. Because, look, the decision is manipulative, at least this money has to go for the military. Read the decision carefully! It is said that tools can be destinationized in other areas where the government deems it necessary to insert them. He's been a cheat, he's being given to KSF. So, it's a question of camouflage, of temptation, because there are Albanians who don't give to their army”, he said.

The Fund for Security has opened on March 1st, and according to the government, the collected means will be anchored as an additional budget for the Ministry of Defence.