EJUP QERIMI

The Economic Initiative for Kosovo (ECIKS) promotes foreign investment into the country. One of the tools the organization uses is the popular top ten list, in this case the top ten reasons to invest in Kosovo. While I support the work of ECIKS, which is the arm of the Pristina based Investment Promotion Agency for Kosovo (IPAK) I have to say that their list this year has some analytical flaws. 1 Central location in the region Being located in the heart of the Balkans, Kosovo's capital Pristina is in one-hour driving distance to any neighbouring country. Ongoing infrastructure projects include modern highway connections to Albania, Serbia and Macedonia. By 2009 the driving distance to the Albanian Port of Durres will be reduced to 3 hours. In addition, Pristina International Airport offers air connections to main European capitals. While it is true that Kosovo is a central Balkan country we are also a landlocked country, there are projections that the driving time between Kosovo an...

Lowering the corporate income tax and personal income tax while distributing the lost revenues to the value added tax is a major change launched by a new tax policy proposal of the Kosovar government. Since 2000 a system of taxation has been constructed and implemented continuously in Kosovo. Today the most important taxes collected to fill the national coffers are: corporate income tax, personal income tax, value added tax (VAT), rent withholding tax, custom duties, excise tax, municipal property tax and the quarrying and mining tax. However, until now there has been no integrated fiscal code governing all taxation programs. Several UNMIK regulations and laws which have been promulgated by the Kosovar parliament were issued to cover the main taxes applicable in Kosovo. The Kosovar government has now proposed to lower corporate income tax from 20% to 10% and reform personal income tax by instating a lower progressive rate. As a consequence the government also proposes to increase the V...

Only a few of Kosovo’s Socially Owned Enterprises (SOEs) which have been privatized are fully functioning and successfully coping with market conditions and competition. Most ex SOEs are in private hands now, as a result of the privatization process headed by UNMIK Pillar IV, managed by the European Union and implemented by Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA). KTA has managed to privatize more than 60% of Kosovo’s SOEs up to now, with another 200 or so to go. As of June 2007, the KTA had tendered around 200 SOEs. KTA sometimes use to split these SOEs into more than one new company and this has created around 300 NewCos. Spin offs from ex SOEs are registered as NewCo's and 100% of shares are sold to private investors. In this way the companies take on new management and new ownership structures. Owing to scrupulous due diligence being conducted by both sides in privatization negotiations, red tape and other difficult transactions of this nature, the KTA has not finalized all contracts. Some N...

Bizneset e serbëve kosovar do të përkrahen financiarisht nga Serbia nëse dokumentojnë se kanë te regjistruar biznesin në Agjencinë për regjistrimin e bizneseve në Serbi, nëse janë tatimpagues të rregullt dhe nëse kanë paguar kontributet sociale në buxhetin serb! Planifikohen investime në infrastrukturë vetëm në fshatra të banuara me serb. Arsimtarët dhe mjekët serb bojkotojnë pagat nga Qeveria e Kosovës. “Komercialna Banka” e Beogradit merr licencë pune nga Banka Qendrore e Kosovës. Planifikohet decentralizimi i pushtetit lokal dhe lejimi i formimit të komunave në baza etnike. Të gjitha këto veprime të influencuara nga Serbia janë të planifikuara dhe të përgatitura nga qendra të ndryshme në Beograd, pjesërisht të implementuara dhe koordinuara nga Agjencia qeveritare serbe e ashtuquajtur Qendra koordinuese e Serbisë për Kosovë dhe Ekipi ekonomik për Kosovë dhe jug të Serbisë. Planet perfide dhe aktivitetet e këtilla janë ndërhyrje flagrante në punët e brendshme të Kosovës me qëllim të s...