Kosovo pensions as for “-back soup”

Bislim Ademi from Pristina's downtown village of Brrnica tries to close the month with his 198-euro pension.

Most say it goes for medicine and municipal bills.

He lives alone after his wife died years ago, and he occasionally receives help only from his son who lives abroad.

The cost of living in Kosovo has increased, especially since 2022, when inflation has risen.

According to Kosovo Statistics Agency data, prices of products and services have been constantly expensive in this period.

Although the AKS has no record of how much the consumer basket costs, the country has laws requiring pension regulation according to the cost of living and inflation.

The government is criticised for failing to implement them.

And among the most affected are pensioners, whose income ranges from 100 euros in retirement from old age to 265 euros in contributions-paying retirement.

“

The day I get my pension, I'm king and whatever you want, because I have money... After three days, I don't have nearly a cent”, Ademi says about Radio Free Europe.

Once a machine technician, he retired about ten years ago.

When he receives his pension, he says that he first provides drugs for high blood pressure and diabetes and then pays his electricity, water, and garbage bills.

In Pristina, team of REL observed various prices of similar products in some cases higher in stores, cheaper in the market.

There is little money left for food. The boy helps him, but he does not get there constantly.

In the morning, you eat a pie for 1.20 euros. I spent the night with him. In the evening, you come in and you eat some soup, pussy or something cheaper... I can't eat the lunch because if I eat it, I can't get the dinner then” says Adam.

It goes almost every day from the village to Pristina less than ten kilometers away to meet old friends at the Pensioners Club.

We have remained as well as one word says: "Scuff ihtyac [from Turkish: needy for charity]. Not just me, but all pensioners are like that”, Ademi says.

The pension system in Kosovo is regulated under the Law for State-funded pension schemes and Law for the methodology of determining the height of basic pension and setting the date for basic pension insurance.

These laws envision harmonisation of pensions with the cost of living and inflation once a year, with the Ministry of Finance proposals.

Pensioners who worked for decades: “

But, according to a report by the Kosovo Institute for Justice (IKD), published on 24 May, the “state has failed to implement these laws” and if it continues to do so, “will face court indictment”.

Naim Jakaj, from the IKD, says this institute has already raised this concern in the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers, the Kosovo Assembly and the chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Boards, Labour and Transferes, and has asked them to consider implementing the laws on the pension issue.

“We are addressing all leaders who may have direct or indirect responsibility for law enforcement. If they fail to consider [these concerns] within an optimum term by June we will file lawsuits for failing to implement the law”, Jakaj tells Radio Free Europe.

What do the institutions say?

Radio Free Europe asked all institutions mentioned The IKD if they have considered this institute's request, but none of them except the Parliamentary Commission for Boards, Labour and Transference ?

The member of this commission, Ferat Shala, from the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo, told the REL that if the issue is not brought into the commission's agenda at the next meeting, then he will be able to lay it himself, as a member of the commission.

He added that if the IKD has legal grounds to file lawsuits against the state for violating the rights of pensioners, he would support such an initiative.

I completely agree. Why shouldn't the law be respected and the basic rights of pensioners be violated?”, Shala said.

The chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for Boards, Labour and Transfers, Armend Muja, from the ruling Vetevendosje Movement, did not answer REL's questions about whether to invite Finance, Labour and Transference Minister Iron Murati to report on concerns raised by the IKD and when.

“No pension increases according to legal requirements”

The IKD says that the estimated amount of pensions over the years has been insufficient to cover minimum profit spending.

In this context, according to this institute, the most endangered are the beneficiaries of basic pension, or old age.

In 2002 this pension was 28 euros. By 2019 it reached 90 euros, with various government decisions.

The latest increase, at 100 euros, took place at the beginning of 2022, under the Economic Resurrection Pack, which the Government of Kosovo approved at the time of the pandemic COVID-19.

“Never has increased [retirement] in relation to legal requirements, according to the Law for Pension schemes and the Law for the methodology of determining pension height”, Jakaj says, referring to harmonisation of the pension level with the cost of living and inflation.

According to Kosovo Statistics Agency data, the inflation rate in Kosovo has moved over the years.

By 2019 it was 2.7 percent, by 2020 it was 0.2 percent, and in 2021 it was 3.4 percent.

It reached the peak in 2022 by means of both pandemic and Russian invasion of Ukraine when it was completed at an average rate of about 12 percent.

Last year and this year, inflation is on the decline, but not even prices of basic products.

KSF data for April this year shows consumer prices are higher by 2.4 per cent compared to the same period last year.