When will the minimum wage increase? Government drags on sending second reading bill

The bill, which would raise the minimum wage in Kosovo after 12 years, has not yet been sent to the Assembly for second reading. The chairman of the Board and Transfer Commission, Armend Muja, has returned no response when asked when the bill will be prosecuted for second review. From the opposition, they say the government's failure to move to raise the minimum wage is accelerating the country's flight process.

The government is dragging the draft bill on the minimum wage in the Assembly for second reading. This bill has been adopted in the first reading since June last year and envisions the growth of the minimum wage to 264 euros gross, or 250 euros net, from 130-170 as it currently is. Since then, the executive has done something about it.

To become effective, the bill must also pass its second and third reading and be signed by President Vjosa Osmani.

The answer has even been returned by the Kosovo Parliament's Media Office when asked about the reasons, why, according to the Order, this would have to happen within 2-3 months after the draft was adopted in the first reading.

MP Pal Lekaj, who comes from the ranks of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, says the Bill on the minimum wage has also been brought to the Board and Finance Commission, where he is a member.

According to him, this shows that the growth of the minimum wage is a priority of the Government.

The minimum wage bill is showing the truth that the Government and the Parliamentary Majority have never had an interest in freezing the minimum wage, much less freezing it to the necessary value. Unfortunately, the bill hasn't come to the Commission for a second review, and it has passed all the possible timelines. They don't even have a prioritization or a subject for this case”, Lekay told Express.

The government's failure to move to raise the minimum wage, Lekaj says it is accelerating the flight of the workforce from the country.

He has reiterated his party's request that the minimum wage be 370 euros, not 250, as the government has proposed.

“It is unacceptable to neglect and discrimination that is being done to 100 thousand Kosovo citizens in connection with the minimum wage. The citizens working in the private sector are mostly suffering here. The government and the parliamentary majority are fearing this law that increases the minimum wage, or it may be some political calculation of this procrastination. The government must know that their failure to move on the growth of the minimum wage is speeding up the country's flight process, especially wing workers. We as AAK call on him to proceed with this bill as soon as possible, and that the minimum wage is not 250euro net, but 370 euros as we proposed from the beginning.”, Lekaj stated.

The government's criticism of this bill has also addressed Ferat Shala of the Democratic Party of Kosovo.

Shala has told Gazette Express that they have received no information about why this law is being processed.

The minimum wage bill is too late and we have no official information about why it's delaying, but from what we know is the Government has made mistakes that have been realising in the process with the minimum wage and it's in a huge dilemma about how to act further”, Shala says.

He has also listed the reasons why, according to him, the government is procrastinating this bill.

“1. The minimum wage has been the government's proposal that has come against all organisations that are beneficial. 2. The minimum wage has not dealt with war-related categories. 3 mynomial salaries are not in line with the inflation rate, the country's economic situation. 4. All political subjects, I'm talking about the opposition, have had remarks. It is not a law that meets the criteria and needs of the family economy, especially for social categories”, Shala has said.

According to him, the government would have to withdraw this bill and complete it, according to remarks it has received from organisations, social categories and opposition.

The “would be the wisest action, though very late and very harmful, if the Government withdraws this law and meets with remarks it received from organisations and social categories and opposition parties”, Shala has declared for Express.

Where does Kosovo rank for minimum wage?

The European Union's Statistics Office, Eurostat, has updated its data on January 31st for the minimum wage in European countries.

On the European continent, Kosovo has the lowest minimum wage, while Luxembourg leads the list as the state with the largest minimum wage. The minimum wage, of a state, is determined by law and applies to most of that state's employees.

The minimum wage in Luxembourg is 2 thousand and 387 euros. After Luxembourg, Germany ranks 1 000, 987 euros and Belgium at 1 000 and 955 euros.

Kosovo, meanwhile, ranks at the end of the list, with 170 euros of up to 170 euros, depending on age.

Ahead is Albania with a minimum salary of 298 euros