4 minutes agoRukiqi: The 2023 economic growth is below the average of the last 10 years
Periskopi(2 years ago)
(2 years ago)The former head of the Kosovo Economic Ode, Berat Rukiqi, has said that the following year three issues that have adversely affected the country's economy are high inflation, high trade deficit, and economic growth rate. He has also had criticism of the government [...]
It has also been critical of the country's government in terms of high electricity prices, where it has suggested that this energy price increase has resulted from non-takement of measures on the part of the state.
Rukiqi, who is now head member of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), has said that the year 2023 has ended with high inflation by 5 per cent, with a high trade deficit of up to 5 billion, as well as an inadequate rate of economic growth, with according to him, below the average of the last 10 years.
“Tri basic issues have characterised last year as far as the economy is concerned, continued high inflation year has been closed with 5 per cent average inflation rate. In addition, prices that have risen during the period of digital inflation have not decreased but have continued to rise. The second is related to the high trade deficit, we have closed the year with 5 billion commercial deficits, so even some measure that the government has taken away by distributing this donation itself or some financial means that are actually distributed without a plan, all finished either in the region's state or in the country by us importing. So they've had almost no effect on the country's economy, whether it's well-being or job creation, or an investment cycle. The third issue that is quite problematic is the rate of economic growth, which has been slightly more than 3 percent at the same time below the average of the last 10 years, or below the average we have after almost every year of economics after independence, has been ruled out here in the year of pandemic”, he said.
Rukiqi has said that despite these three problems Kosovo has had, the country's government has not taken a move to improve the situation with high prices. According to him, this government is showing more arrogance than political actions that would change the situation.
“If we have three key problems -- deficit, inflation, the growth rate -- and we don't have a government move, either in short term or in medium term, or the long term -- target a positive impact, or intends to have a better situation with prices, at the rate of economic growth, to have a lower trade deficit. So there's a complete shortage of these actions, we don't have one policy, and we have more manifestations of arrogance, then hyperbolisation of percentages through various manipulated graphs. If you look at all these elements, the situation certainly doesn't change because economic policies are about to act. So you have a range of measures that are proposed by the opposition and the government has made a difference, it has not taken these recommendations”, he said.
Rukiqi has also mentioned the causes leading up to the high price of electrical power data, which has stressed that the government, regardless of the situation, has not done a new project in the energy sector in the years.
He has said that considering the situation has been difficult for citizens, the VAT on electricity has had to be zero.
The responsibility is at three levels, the first responsibility is to increase the price of energy twice in a row, once as a consequence of the rapid import of electricity outside plans. The extraordinary increase in tariffs and we have seen suspicious contracts, electricity trading, we repeatedly refer to the case of Ambassador Martin Berishaaj, who unfortunately is still in position. And as a consequence of these imported prices or imported electricity we've had an increase in tariffs or electricity prices from the ZRRE. Then the second level of responsibility comes over that there has still been growth this year, 15 percent, but along with this increase there has not been a move, especially those we've proposed, as is the case with the T reduction. V The U.S., which is 8 percent in electricity as a product, as a service, and which would have to be zero especially for these times of emergency, and we have tremendous price increases. Even the third level of responsibility falls on that of general energy policies, not even a new project in the electricity sector, electricity generation, so that we don't depend on import has not started in this government”, it has indicated.
Rukiqi has said the subsidies made by the government are the population as a move and that they have no effect and do not ease the situation.
“Subventions such as these are populations as measures, any measure of population has no effect, does not ease the situation. So it only contributes to the deterioration of the situation, it doesn't lower the prices of the same time it doesn't even lower the” burden, he said. /EO
