The EU measures are affecting the country's development

It has been more than a month since the European Union imposed punitive measures on Kosovo as a result of the situation in the north. And these measures, according to Kosovo Economic Ode Chairman Lulzim Rafuna, are also affecting the country's economic development.

As for customs revenues, Rafuna has said it is not good news, since the Economic Ode talking about punitive measures, Rafuna sees even in attracting foreign investors and damaging Kosovo's image.

In an interview for Online Economics, Rafuna has cited exemption from the Fund for Digitalisation. He has said that unless these measures go away, there will be damage in other areas

“These punitive measures that have been imposed on Kosovo have damaged Kosovo in the first two areas in the image issue, not been a good image, it has not been a good message, for foreign and second investors is materially, where our companies have suffered, even the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, because we had the case of the Digjitalisation Fund, where all the countries of the region have taken their own place, while Kosovo has been excluded from the right to exploit its rightfulness of the Fund of Kosovo, we are now re-entering it in September, and if the measures are done to us and do it is done with our own funds, and then we will most of our companies have to say so, and then Rafuna will be excluded.

Rafuna also spoke of economic trends in the country, which stressed that economic growth forecasts this year are 3.5 to 4 percent.

“I have not seen the videos, the Oda economic growth in Kosovo that you envision is the same as the World Bank sees, the Monetary Fund and other financial institutions, the creditable institutions that make estimates, the increase will be brought up by the end of the year between 3.5 and 4, that is, more or less our expectations is to complete the economic growth of Kosovo”, Rafuna said.

The OEK leader sees deepening the trade deficit. For this, he asked for more attention from the Kosovo government.

The trade deficit is disturbing, it means the growth of the deficit, the growth of imports as in quantity, the decline of exports we had these last two months, it's very disturbing, so this is an alarm for the government of the Republic of Kosovo to focus on and draft a good fiscal policy, which helps us to have more exports and reduce the trade deficit”, the head of OEK said.

Rafuna has also talked about increasing revenues from Customs. It says that Kosovo's Economic Oda is not proud of it, as their continued demand is export production.

“As far as revenues are concerned with the value of inflation itself, the very importation of the largest amount has also led to increased revenues in customs, but we like Ode do not brag about the revenues coming from customs, we boast of them in export growth and with the coverage of goods imported with local products. So for us, every major entry that comes into customs is a concern, not in a positive sense, that as soon as it's good, for us as the Economic League insists that we have as much production and all of our demands on all of the country's institutions is that we have as much production and as much exports as few imports of goods from other countries and bringing cash out of Kosovo<1>, he has declared.