Products “Made in Kosovo”, more expensive than imported ones

The increase in prices on the Kosovo market is particularly halted of local products, which are often more expensive than imported products. Arben Feriz, Z. Director in a meat production industry points to severe competition precisely because of prices. He blames all governments for that, since, as he says, they did nothing in subvention or in priority of this industry.

“ ...now Kosovo faces a severe competition with the Serbian, Croatian, or Hungarian livestock, for itself that these three states subsidize 3 times more or 4 times, or 8 times more in Hungary's case than the Government of Kosovo, for us today a head of cattle in Kosovo is subvened by 80 euros, in Serbia at 400 euros, in Hungary with about 600 euros, and this certainly made it a record of a imbalance and decomposing capacity for the establishment of cattle producers in Kosovo,<8x> said.

Berat Mustafa, chairman of the Kosovo Producers Club, says the policies of countries in the region enable production companies to receive more competitive prices in the market. Mustafa also accuses businessmen who, according to him, decide their own margin of profit.

“... I challenge you to go to the manufacturer and you see that in production the prices are normal and competitive with import, but the markets with their margins we have no impact there, 100% we guarantee that local producers in any crisis don't freeze prices, but it's the marketing policies that publish their policies that we don't have at least...”, Mustafa said.

That the lack of raw materials and its import make it difficult for local producers, businessman Ramiz Kelmendi claims. It says most of the raw materials should be imported, and thus local producers have customs loads of 10% on materials, but also in spare parts of machinery. According to him, prices at the market cannot decide producers, but they are based on laws and constitutions.

So no trader and no other economic act is subject to the demands of producers but is subject to market and consumer demands, the production and trade report is the report being built on market economy”, Kelmendi said.

Zana Beqiri, director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, have led to a global crisis for rising prices and inflation in the world and in Kosovo.

The “because we depend on the import of raw materials and this comes the prices that are... it's reasonable that a product that comes from an EU country is cheaper than a local product because they produce much more because they have a bigger market and of course comes up with a much cheaper”, she said.

Following the ZERC warning, for the rise of the price of electricity for 14% in our country, prices of other local products are expected to mark increases.