Rama: Government is not treating Pristina as its own, making political obstacles for several major projects

Pristina Mayor Progress Rama has said the Kurti Government is not treating the capital as its own.

Rama has accused the central level of obstructing several major projects, such as the capital's ring and building the “Agim Ramadani” road.

He has further stressed that even the project of the former “Grmia”, which is scheduled to build concentral halls and museums, has been unable to do the work as the cause of EU measures towards Kosovo, with the result of an estimated 20m euros being blocked.

However, despite “obstructions” and numerous criticisms from the opposition in the capital city, Rama has voiced confidence that the planned projects will end, most of which, he said, are co-financed by the private sector.

He has said that dozens of them have already been published and started, while even for delays in starting several projects, he has accused the central level.

For the “Green Market project”, published last year at 5.7m euros, Rama has said it will begin this year and that they have two options for it.

The Green Market Project is complete and we have two processes on the table now. We've established a fund that meets the possibility of developing the first phase, but when we made the investment conference, in January of this year, we've also presented the market as a potential investment, so we've had some investors who are interested together in investment. So, communities on land, those with investments. We're gonna push this one too. We have it under way to get up at the assembly, send me as a co-investment, and this will happen immediately this year, start on one side or the other. So, we also have budgeted funds, but we also have the opportunity to carry out all 5.7 million investment from the private sector. We as the capital have only shared 1.2 million to complete the internal phase. One or the other will start this year”, he said.

Pristina's chairman has said the major road construction project “Agim Ramadani”, although tendered, has been halted by central-level institutions with the reason that there may be prehistoric findings in that part, where this, according to him, is a political blockade.

We have many projects that have been published and many have started. We have a large number of projects you see through all points in the capital. But, major projects, only because we've tendered them, we've tendered the road éagim Ramadaniı. Major projects require design. The street '%gim Ramadaniı, which is major for the capital, has come up in the tender, is now blocked by the Institute for Protection of Monuments, for reasons it is supposed to have prehistoric findings. It's a little abstract why he stopped the process, he's all ready, he can start right away, but now we're facing central institutions to push the matter forward. If there's prehistoric findings there we need to start digging, but we can't say we can't start the project because there may be prehistoric findings. The area is not protected in archaeological terms, there is no reason to be stopped there, I think it's just a matter, political blockade, nothing else”, he said.

Rama has stressed that the major project of the former Germia target, where concentral halls and museums will be built, has been unable to produce the works as a cause of EU measures towards Kosovo, where a amount of 20m euros has been destined by the EU for this project.

But according to him, the municipality has not stopped and allocated a 2m-euro fund to push ahead with the museum project, while for the rest, they are waiting until the country leaves the EU.

We opened George Bush. The tender for the platform, which connects Arber and Palace, we also have opened. The Home Ring is now at its conclusion, The A Street is continuing with high intensity. B Street is going on with high intensity. Both will be linked to each other by the end of this year, which will be a huge contribution to the capital. Excavation, concertal halls, and the art museum know that we have the project ready to start it all. We've had funds from the divided European community, 15 million to 20 million, but because our country is in sanctions or under the measure we don't have them. We haven't stopped, the funds we've shared as the capital we've pushed forward and now we've only opened a piece where the former house of goods has an exhibition that tells the story our society has been through. We also have a 2-million-dollar fund that we're going to push forward to transfer this entire existing piece of muse with our funds to function until our country comes out of the measures that we can then continue with the” concert hall, he said.

He has said the government is refusing to invest in the capital ring, and that this municipality is not treating it as its own.

Rama has stressed that in September two companies from Switzerland will present their billion-euro projects in Pristina, which will be invested in the bus station area.

And we have the Tubertore, the project now only ends, and so do the next meeting of the Co-investment Council with the private sector that are willing to invest in 20 million, transform this space. We also have companies from Switzerland, two large companies that will present billions of projects in September, in the area at the bus station, where we ask them to build our bus station, we demand that they co-invest us to build the capital ring as the government is refusing to invest. He wants to invest outside Pristina, but not in Pristina, he does not treat Pristina as his own, but unfortunately like we were in another state. But that will not stop us. We've got Sports Village, which with a co-investment will take place. We have large numbers of projects that are happening parallel to”, Rama has said of EO.