Gerjali: Woe Kosovo has the largest coal reserves in Europe, but depends on electricity import

The economy's recogniser and former head of the Kosovo Economic Oade, Safet Gerjaliu, raised the alarm for the serious energy sector situation in the country, calling it a major strategic loss for Kosovo and a mirror of the misery of economic policy.

Gerxhaliu said Kosovo has lost the weather battle for electricity as a result of lack of investments in new production capacities and dependence on foreign markets.

The Kosovo power battle has been lost the weather in the face of powers that dominate the regional and European market. The very fact that this power of dominance in the electricity trade has had an impact on Kosovo not having investments in electricity production capacities is the first. Psychologically, it is very disturbing that Kosovo today still has the capacities built for electricity production from Tito's Yugoslavia from the 1960s-70s and 26 years after the liberation we have failed to invest in new production capacities”, he said.

According to Gerxhaliu, Kosovo is among the richest countries in Europe for coal reserves, but surprisingly imports energy, while existing capacities are outdated and dysfunctional for modern demands.

Kosovo is the second richest coal reserve state in Europe, the fourth in the world, and we are the ones that depend further on electricity imports. This is really making products and services in Kosova '%s' uncompetitive and should not be surprised that the export contraction rate has begun and will continue”, he said.

It criticises wrong policies and the lack of vision for orientation towards domestic production as factors that are damaging the country's economy.

When you're not oriented on local production and depending on the outside market or on the international stock market, you have no power to control and monitor the price. We are now in a phase where even during the summer months we import energy, worth up to 600 thousand euros a day, and about 50,000 euros are paid for transport alone, Gerjaliu added.

Citing the EU's new carbon tax regulation expected to go into effect in January, he warns that energy prices will increase further.

Gerjaliu says the lack of transparency and orientation towards import have turned Kosovo into a dependent and powerless consumer, and if energy courses are not changed, the consequences will be long-term and harmful to all walks of society.

“From January we will be part of the adoption of an EU carbon tax regulation. All of this, dear and unwanted, will affect the price rise. So I believe that dialogue needs to be advanced, to think about investing in new production capacities, to eliminate bureaucracy and energy sector depoliticize. Because today it's in the hands of much more politics and tradesmen than the interest of the state, citizens and business”, Gerjaliu told EO./Periscopi/