Power company robs the state of about 1.4m euros to present Kosovo's image at international fairs

“Kan-Construct Fair” was registered as business in Croatia at the end of 2018. Two years later, without any notable experience in organising fairs, this company was “angrejed” from Kosovo institutions for the construction of deliveries to Kosovo businesses at international fairs.

Out of a total of 24 international fairs held in various European cities during the period 2022-2023, the Can-Construct Fair company has been entrusted by the Agency for Investment and Support of Enterprises in Kosovo K. IESA, construction of Kosovo stations in eight of them. K The IESA is the state agency that operates under the umbrella of the Ministry of Industry, Intervention and Trade, (MINT), and that its mission is to promote and support investments, exports, tourism, NVMs and Economic Areas in the Republic of Kosovo.

For Kan-Construct Fair, which has been presented to Croatian authorities for exercising activities to organise fairs, no public information about its experience can be found.

Research reveals that Can-Construct Fair, in fact, is just the appendix of another company that has benefited nearly 1m euros in the same period from CIESA.

It's about the company “Mirt Interier”, as well as Croatian companies, but unlike Can-Construct Fair, this one with experience in the field of fairs and operating as business since 1993.

Of the 24 fairs during the 2022-2023 period that have researched the Economic Bulletin, the Mirt Interier Company and Can-Construct Fair together have been selected in 19 of them for the construction of supplies for Kosovo businesses.

Mirt Interier stands behind the organisation at 11 fairs, while Kan-Construct Fair stands at 8 of them.

Both together within a two-year period benefited from Kosovo's budget of around 1.4m euros. Of them, 815 thousand and 978 euros were transferred to Mirt Interierre and another 550 thousand and 546 euros to the Kan-Construct Fair Company.

False competition?

Even though neither Mirt Interier nor Can-Construct Fair have answered economic Bulletin's questions, state agency K. ISA has introduced them as a company “competition” in communications via emails of this agency with the Economic Bulletin staff.

But of all the researched public data, it turns out that, in fact, jobs for Kosovo were performed only by one company, even when by KIESA “the other company was enabled.

Research reveals that Mirt Interier is the main company behind Kosovo's image at international fairs.

Mirt Interier It's a company founded in 1993, and of all public records, it turns out to be an experienced company in the field of fair organization.

But the same cannot be said for the other company, Kan-Construct Fair. This company was founded in late 2018, but no other record of its work is public.

Kan-Construct Fair was engaged by KIESA for the construction of Kosovo stations at 8 fairs during 2022-23, just two years after it was registered as a business in Croatia.

Two in one?

From public data provided to Croatian business registration authorities, it turns out Mirt Interier It stays behind the company. Kan-Construct Fair.

Both are Croatian companies and have the same business address, but another link raises even more suspicions of camouflage of competition.

You both tie him a name: Ana Kanji.

On Web site Mirt Interier, Ana Kaniić, figures there as project manager, while in Kan-Construct Fair business the same figures as founder of the company. But this is not the only connection between them that raises doubts about false presentations as a competitive company by KISA. Both share the business address with which they are registered as businesses to Croatian authorities.

The base of both is on RakitjeA village located west of Zagreb.

Both companies have jointly declared 4 workers to Croatian authorities, out of them 3 of Mirt Interier, while only 1 of Kan-Construct Fair.

The owner in Mirt Interier is Tomislav Mirt. The latter has been contacted dozens of times by the Economic Bulletin, the official business phone and official emails, but contact with him has been impossible.

Calls and questions on official emails have not been answered either by Anna Kaniić during the research period.

Questions Without Answers

The Economic Bulletin has sent questions to companies to understand more about allegations of common ownership between Mirt Interier and Can-Construct Fair. Also, how they have come in touch with KIESA officials about their commitment to building provisions for Kosovo at international fairs.

Despite several months of insistence, the Economic Bulletin has failed to receive a defined response either from KIESA about why they committed it to building the shares to a company that has recently registered as business and without any apparent experience.

K IESA has avoided questions even in terms of the commitment of the Kan-Construt Fair company and whether any procedure was followed for the company's engagement.

In the question of the Economic Bulletin: “A can give us proof of what the experience is in hosting fairs of the Can-Construct Fair Fair Fairs, which you have contracted on several occasions during the reference period 2022-23, by KIESA has responded:

“Sic was clarified even higher, working experience and other conditions are assessing the main organiser of the fair, which sends us licensed, experienced companies and meets the conditions of the organiser and the state given the permission of work, security, etc. to realise the activity. Also, since all jobs are completed on deadlines, no remarks and professionally has been in order and without a warning to the main organiser”.

However, of all the performers at the fairs the Economic Bulletin has talked to, this does not turn out to be true. Panitaires provide for participating states only space, while the company's commitment to regulation of supplies should carry out institutions from participating states on its own.

The Economic Bulletin has achieved that such claims are also being denied by European renegation organisers.

To verify state agency K statement The IESA that “panire itself assigns states to the list of companies for border construction”, the Economic Bulletin has sent questions to at least two international fairs Kosovo has participated in during this period.

Both these fairs have denied “descriptions” KIESA's.

If you decide to take unregulated space, you can contract a company that you decide, or by your own will, we can design and build your box”, it's the answer from the “fair. Food Expo”, which is held in Athens.

There Kosovo was introduced in March 2022. Similar answers have been given by the fair “Anuga Fair”, which is held in Germany. K ISA was introduced there in October 2021.

After those positions, the Economic Bulletin has tried to seek additional clarifications from KIESA, but contact with them has been impossible.

The question remains how it is possible that in 19 international fairs, where these two companies have built stands during the period 2022-2023, the fairs refer only to two same companies. They have not clarified this from either the CIESA in writing or through phone calls, carried out consistently during the research period.

From research fairs, there are also fairs where they are geographically closer to Kosovo than to Croatia. Another question left unanswered is that “why hasn't any Kosovo company been selected for the construction of supplies at such fairs where the site of the fair was closer to Kosovo than with Croatia? ”

Even in this case, the answer from CIESA is the same.

“IESA applies the existing UA, but it is worth noting that we have information about whether local companies have an interest in co-operating or communicating with international organisers for hosting world fairs. However, the CIESA would have been very willing and previously cooperated with local companies that are accomplices to organisers”.

Two companies, identical images

The Can-Construct Fair and Mirt Interier companies do not just have the business address in Croatia in common and the connection between the two with manager Ana Kaniić.

Another notable detail when analyzing their work on building supplies is that images working for Kosovo at international fairs, of both companies, look quite identical.

Suppose, at two fairs held in March 2022, the stands look exactly the same.

First “fair Food Expo 2022” has been held in Athens. For the design and construction of supplies here, the Can-Construct Fair Company was responsible.

This fair, the state of Kosovo, has cost 111,358.12 euros, out of which the organising space paid 16 thousand and 571 euros, while the Kan-Construct Fair company has been paid 94 thousand and 787 euros for the construction and design of the shipments.

In the same month, Kosovo has been introduced at the <x0 fair. IFE London 2022” held in London. The responsibility here for the design and construction of details is Mirt Interier Company. This Kosovo state fair has cost the state 144,748.71 euros, out of which 45 thousand and 328 euros have been paid for space, while Mirt Interier has been paid 99 thousand and 420 euros for the construction of supplies.

Images look quite identical if compared with two other fairs held during the months of September and July 2022.

For the fair “Biofach 2022” held in Nuremberg, Germany, responsible for the stands, was the Mirt Interier Company. Organising this fair in the total state of Kosovo has cost 60 thousand and 460 euros. Of them 45 thousand and 780 euros have gone to the Mirt Interier Conton for the construction of supplies.

But a completely similar addition is seen at the “Dmexco2022” fair, held at Kolin, Germany, on 21-22 September. The difference is that the company Kan Construct Fair, which for this fair is paid 81 thousand and 490 euros.

Image similarities are also seen at two other research fairs.

Kosovo's state looks quite the same at the “Sial 2022” fair, held in France on 15-19 October, with the “fair Enoexpo 2022”, held in Krakova, Poland, on 16-18 November. In the first, the Kosovo border has built Mirt Interier, the Kan-Construct Fair company, in the second.

In general, the same situation as the similarity in images is presented at all fairs where these “dy” companies are responsible.

K The IESA has not clarified what verification was made by the state to these “2” companies that were paid from the Kosovo budget as “dy” companies to promote Kosovo's image at international fairs.