Iron Murati: Kosovo gets cheaper energy in region

Finance, Labour and Transfers Minister Hekwarh Murati has said that so far they have allocated 60m euros for electricity subsidies, down from 90m pledged.

Murati, testifying Friday to the energy crisis investigative commission, said Kosovo is exceeding freedom in the region of energy crisis. However, he again warned that a difficult winter in terms of stable electricity supply awaits the country.

There's been two alpines. The first alloy has been 41m euros, and the second aloche is also a 19m-euro split. Then this 19m euros has been spent, or the execution approximately 6m euros if I am not mistaken. So the government has so far allocated 60 million euros... the entire amount, support and subsidy goes to the final consumers. Because of subsidy, terminal consumers continue to have the lowest electricity price in the region and possibly in Europe. Since we have not allowed the price of electricity to increase for over 80 percent of households because we have been subsidized and have influenced not to raise fees by 80 percent of households and businesses. Given that we already have an increase in inflation prices, and given that this could also affect the escalation of inflation growth, we have no reason to support all these” categories, he said.

Before MPs, Murati compared Kosovo's electricity price to Albania, which according to him shows good management by local institutions and also that the subsidy has made the price for 80 percent of households increase.

Any pledge the Government has made will be fulfilled and we must stand against our commitments. As for how many tools go to the right place, let me remind you that if they take Albania as an example as a concrete case, we have the case where the new tarif block is added there, the same as we did. Over the fee or 800 kilowatt hours of consumption per month has another fee. But if we compare the tariffs in Kosovo, the fee below 800 kilowatts of the day costs 6.75 cents, while in Albania some 8 cents of tariffs below 800 kilowatts, while over 800 kilowatts cost us about 12 cents, and in Albania 36 cents. If we see where the government's subsidy has gone, you can see at this point. We because of the subsidy have the price of 12 cents even on the high fee of over 800 kilowatt hours”, he added.

But that data was rejected, commission member from PDK ranks Abelard Tahiri. He presented several figures, according to him, show that since April in Kosovo there has been an import of electricity.

And from April onward, no megawatt is imported to the Republic of Kosovo by the supplier that is competent for this issue... our data is convinced that we are accurate, neither by the others nor by the KESCO, we have no import of the current. That's why we've had reductions in August after there's been no import and we haven't achieved consumption with our domestic production. I expect that we will know to specify Kosovo's debt paid by our taxes for this period that we are investigating. You can't say it takes the whole year, but it has to be divided”, he said.

The committee member from the AAK, MP Paul Lekaj, also appeared, who said the separation of resources from the government is illegal.

The Ministry of Economy has so far failed to give him what legal basis he has given these tools. If we pass the tools on KESCO and she have so far not reasoned with this aloation on the basis of bills, since if we harm citizens again, then we have done nothing”, he stressed.

The commission member from LVV, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, who asked MP Lekaj to read the Law on Electricity and to understand that the sharing of tools has been in accordance with the law.

In this regard, what we need to ask questions is the means that are separated from the government, how many have gone and paid for citizens in compensation for electricity bills. This was clarification for you, Article 34” Law for Electrical Energy, she said.

However, MP Lekaj reacted to Kusari-Lila, calling her Minister Murati's lawyer.

Excuse me, partner, but it's not. We didn't call you in, the minister. If you have lawyers, okay”, he said.

Commission members expressed disagreement among themselves even as regards the State Treasury demand for transactions to divide 60m euros. For what the same one did not get the necessary votes on the commission.