15 illegal sellers at Pristina car market

Pristina Community Inspectorate, in co-operation with the Kosovo Police and the Food and Veterinary Agency (AUVK), has taken broad action since early morning hours for the removal of ambulance vendors from public space in the vehicle market held every Sunday, fined 15 illegal sales, selling birds and small livestock.

AWK, along with the Pristina municipality's Inspectorate directorate, has described such a serious public health risk, where illegal vendors brutally slaughter birds and sell them that way.

Inspectorate Director Bekim Brestovci said this part of public space is not destined for such sales, where various infections could be distributed.

Brestovci has indicated that this space from today, in no form, will be destined for the market as it has been every Sunday.

The capital's “Inspection is working with an operational plan to eliminate some negative phenomena we have in the capital. One of them is, of course, the use of this public space, otherwise known as the back market. It's about a road, a public space that in any form is destined for such sales. We have also had a very catastrophic situation, since besides the sale of small birds and livestock, there has also been a slaughter of them, which has naturally led to a very bad sight, as well as a phenomenon that could have had the distribution of various infections. This space from now on in any form, in any way and in no time period will be destined for the market, as has been used so far... These should be directed to the municipality, it is the Public Services Directorate, then the competent director who deals with the destination and provision of public space use”, Brestovci said.

Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Alban Ymer said 15 fines of 100 euros have been imposed for those who have ignored the inspectors' order.

Ymer announced that the action will continue, until illegal vendors become aware.

We have a full inspection of the space around the market, where all the vendors who tried to sell illegally are gone. Conform punishment measures to the same have been taken. The action is continuing until all illegal vendors are aware. Somewhere about 15 fines have been pronounced on the part of our Inspectorate so far. Most have welcomed our decision and have begun to leave, while those who have ignored the inspectors' order have been taken measures against them -- 100 euros -- for everyone facing illegally trading”, Ymer said.

On the part of AVUK, the head of the information office, Muharrem Sahini, added that buying birds from citizens in that way is harmful to health, uncontrolled and anti-hygienic.

Sahin stressed that this action will be worth not only to the Pristina municipality, but to all municipalities in the country.

“In the most brutal way I can say, slaughter, sell, are mistreated in this part of the city of Pristina. In this case, we've made that decision. As an agency and as an institution that cares for the health of Kosovo citizens in terms of consumption of food, meat and all other foods, then we also found that it is harmful to health. At the same time, the way they are treated is not only brutal but anti-hygienic. Selling in an open environment is illegal. This is not only for the municipality of Pristina, this action will expand to other municipalities, and citizens will not be absolutely allowed to consume food in such markets”, Sahin added.

Illegal vendors, who had come from different Kosovo municipalities, were not of reconciliation with the decision to leave that space.

Same as a sign of protest stayed in the streets, ahead of Kosovo Police. /Periscopi/