Rafuna: With energy tariffs rising, citizens will pay energy prices twice

The head of the Kosovo Economic Ode, Lulzim Rafuna, has said that even though the law was approved in 2016 for businesses to go out on the open market to supply energy, and then was postponed several times, it was currentised immediately after the election ended.

“Decision by Z THE time to go out on the open market came shortly after the election ended, and the deadline for businesses to go out on the open market was June 1st, which is actually a very short, three-month deadline to implement. Businesses are not against opening markets, but their demands are to give them time to prepare for human resources. Based on analyses from the Economic Oda, buying energy in exchanges from businesses themselves today is from 50 to 100% more expensive than the energy they have received so far from KED. The price of electricity directly affects business operational spending and directly makes the product more expensive, and that price is carried directly to the consumer, citizen of Kosovo. In this case, citizens are growing twice the price of electricity: the first through the family economy by 15% and second through price of product and therefore lowering the living standard,” said Rafuna, broadcasts Periscope.

According to Rafuna, the criteria set by law that each business that has over 50 workers or over 10m euros in circulation must be changed.

According to the information we've received, there are many businesses, start-ups, which have over 50 workers but have no circulation of over 10m euros and will be forced to close because they have no financial or human capacity to deal with the purchase of electricity in the stock exchange every day. Therefore, an additional one-year deadline should be given for businesses to prepare for open market exit,” has added Rafuna.

According to the list provided by ATK, 1,249 Kosovar businesses must go to the open market of energy purchase. /Periscope/