Azem: No change with Kurt for two years around 100m euros for energy in the north

Days ago, the Supreme Court rejected the request for extraordinary review by the Energy Regulatory Office (ZRRE) against the Court of Appeals' trial in terms of energy billing for the northern part of Kosovo. In 2017, Apel decided that it is illegal for citizens of other municipalities to pay energy for citizens of 4 northern municipalities.

From the period 2012-2017 citizens of other municipalities have paid the electricity for consumers in the north. By 2017, the responsibility of paying for the current spent in northern Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviq has passed on to the Government of Kosovo.

The Supreme decision also emphasizes that citizens have the right to ask for the amount paid during those five years. Pristina's foundation court has decided in 2021 that the Kosovar Power Distribution Company (KEDS) should compensate citizens who pay energy for the north for over 40m euros.

LDK Energy Department co-ordinator Wisar Azemi said Kurti is continuing the old avaz and paying off energy, again taking the tools in one form or another from citizens.

“has been an injustice in how other citizens were discriminated against, where, through their fate, the rest of the bill has been paid, which citizens of the northern part have not paid and this court (Supme) testified once again that it was unfair and that this court decision applies to the company (KEDS) along with the Energy Regulatory Office, that those means paid by other citizens return to whatever form is possible or is found as a compromise. What we're still seeing is that even this government has continued to continue when the fate for the northern part is paid in some form or other by the citizens' taxes because what they're doing now, it's still going to sub-veciate that area”, Azemi claims.

Azem says that for two years of the mandate of this government, about 100m euros have been paid for energy bills in northern Kosovo. He said the Vetevendosje Movement has come to power with promises that this will not happen.

It has been two years of power since this government has paid about 100m euros for electricity bills in the north. All the time we've heard that the moment these come to power and take control of the government, these things are going to stop, the luck of the electricity from the northern citizens will not be paid by the government or by the citizens, but in reality we're seeing something else. Here's their chance, here's what they've been looking for. Let them extend their sovereignty to the northern part and demand that electricity bills be paid to all who use electricity. 100m euros for two years power”, follows Azem.

Regarding the Supreme Court's decision, which supports the decision of Pristina's Constitutional Court, to compensate the citizens who pay for the current spent in the north, Azemi says the Kosovo Government should be involved in this new situation.

Now we have a newly created situation, with this decision, and for good reason Kosovo's citizens should seek the return of their means, which have unjustly paid for the energy they did not spend themselves. Now we are waiting for the government's evolution to see how it can be overcome by this situation and how it can get their tools, the citizens who have paid energy. The government needs to evolve and provide alternative, for the way and form of subvention of these bills”, Azemi concludes.

On the energy issue spent in the north, Kosovo and Serbia had reached an agreement with 2013, as well as a Guide for Implementation in 2022. However, in that part of the country, electricity continues to be unfathomed.