Rukiqi: MINT's Administrative Guide Creates Space for Government to misuse tax quotas in import

The former head of the Kosovo Economic Ode, Berat Rukiqi, has said that the Administrative Guide for placing tax quotas in import, signed by the Ministry of Industry, Intervention and Trade (MINT), creates space for the Government to misuse with quotas in import and did discrimination of various acts in the market.

He has said he has accepted concerns from businesses and their associations for this instruction, as the same has not been discussed at all with interest groups. According to him, it's the controversial practice of Kurti Government.

Rukiqi has said she will see all procedural, legal and parliamentary ways to counter this administrative guidance, and especially in terms of how far the Constitution conflicts with and with the current foreign trade law.

I have received requests and concerns from business and business associations that are concerned for several reasons. The first is that an administrative directive of particular importance related to import quota management has not been discussed with the public at all, has not been discussed with interest groups. This is continuous practice. All these administrative guidelines, all these legal acts, sublaws that are important to the country's economy, important for the functioning of economic links in any case, and in no case have ever been discussed with those who directly affect these guidelines. This is the secular practice of this government in dealing with those who in this case are the biggest contributors to the country's budget, employment in the country”, he has said.

The member of the Democratic League of Kosovo's leadership has said this administrative directive is a copy of the Foreign Trade Law provisions.

He has said that foreign countries on the basis of international agreements define quotas in import for specific products, for specific industries but not as in the case of Kosovo affecting all import.

He has stressed how such conflicts with current laws in place, is dangerous for the future of market functioning in Kosovo and free competition.

The second part of the problem related to this administrative direction from what we've analyzed in the economics department in LDK is what this administrative directive is trying to do. This administrative directive refers to the foreign trade law, but it's actually just a copy of the provisions of that law and then certain administrative provisions that don't address content at all, the substance of this issue that are quotas in import. Countries based on international agreements, according to the world trade organisation's rules, set quotas in import, but for specific products for certain industries. But not to become a import regulator. This underground act allows space that the government, in this case MINT, abuses these quotas in import. Create this space. It creates great room for discrimination of various actors in the market. As such, except that it conflicts with the current laws we have in force, it is also dangerous for the future of market functioning in Kosovo and free competition. Then there's also an unconstitutional element inside it”, he said.