Justice in Kosovo discusses the privatisation of NBI Suhareka winery
Justice in Kosovo broadcast a programme about the privatisation process of the NBI Suhareka wine enterprise, including high-profile suspicions about secret deals between businessmen.
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Every Thursday starting from 20:30, Radio Television Kosovo, RTK, broadcasts the TV debate show "Life in Kosovo", a joint production of BIRN and RTK.
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Life in Kosovo interviews the minister of health, and discusses the Chamber of Commerce and trade policy
24 June 2010
On Thursday, 24 June 2010, Life in Kosovo broadcast a debate about the election of the head of Kosova Chamber of Commerce and another about products made in the country. BIRN also transmitted an interview with the minister of health, Bujar Bukoshi, about the problems at Kosovo’s largest hospital, the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo (UCCK).
Interview with Minister of Health Ali Sadrija
Asked why UCCK’s director, Ali Sadrija, had been sacked earlier in the week, Kosovo’s minister of health, Bujar Bukoshi, said “the situation at UCCK hasn’t been managed properly. Because this centre is the pillar of medicine in Kosovo, and despite our efforts to have a well-organised team working in that institution, we didn’t achieve it, so the procedure for sacking the director began.”
When asked why it took the Ministry of Health so long to make the decision, Mr Bukoshi argued that the suspension had been officially issued on Tuesday (22 June), but the procedure had started a week earlier.
Mr Bukoshi denied that the decision to sack Mr Sadriu had been made in consultation with President Fatmir Sejdiu, who seemed to have had an influence on his appointment seven months ago. The minister said “this was not coordinated with the president, since the president has no obligation to participate in the appointment of the UCCK’s directors. On the contrary, the institutional hierarchy must be respected for nominating, appointing, electing or sacking any official from any position.”
Mr Bukoshi was presented with the fact that the Ministry of Health’s permanent secretary, Haxhi Kamberi, had met with the president soon before the announcement was made. He replied that “I don’t know of any meeting between them, but even if they have met, it does not mean that any agreement was made. The permanent secretary is doing great work at the ministry, so it is not of great importance who has met with whom.”
In response to claims that rumours are circulating that Mr Sadriu had discovered executives manipulating the centre’s tenders, Bukoshi said that “I have heard [such things] even more than you, because words circulate around. However, for all the words, facts are needed as there are procedures, we pretend to have a legislative state, and there are legal procedures prescribing how such words, if supported with facts, can proceed further within suitable institutions. It’s not my role to play prosecutor.”
Asked about the six hectares of land taken away from UCCK that has reportedly been purchased by unnamed LDK officials, Mr Bukoshi argued that “this question has also been asked to me by the Assembly. I don’t know any names, but I know that those six hectares are missing. And if those individuals are found and prosecuted by the courts, I will support totally the process of returning the property to UCCK.”
Asked which laws were not respected by the former director of UCCK, the minister said “the problem was the general mismanagement of the centre. The UCCK is not a small business or a private entrepreneurship, but is a much more sensitive institution dealing with patients, and thus needs better management.”
Ali Sadriu had said that decentralisation of the clinical centre would begin soon, although Mr Bukoshi said that his sacking will not infringe much upon the process: “I’m convinced that the gap will be very short, although as always when there are such changes, time is needed for things to continue in normal flow.”
As for the next director, Mr Bukoshi claimed that “one will be appointed soon, after consultation.”
Finally, asked about whether the next director should be a medical doctor, the minister replied that they “could also be a very skilful economist, or a good manager who takes into consideration the suggestions and recommendations of doctors. We do have many experts within the UCCK and Kosovo in general, and it’s not a big deal if a director or a minister is sacked from their position, because even a prime minister can be in the same position.”
Debate about the Chamber of Commerce
Questions covered in the debate included: who will be the new head of the Kosova Chamber of Commerce? Will the Chamber become politicised? Is Kosovo totally dependent on food imported from Serbia? Is protecting domestic products an obligation of consumers or the government?
The host, Muhamet Hajrullahu, was joined in the studio by Safet Gërxhaliu and Ramiz Kelmendi, both candidates for the presidency of the Chamber of Commerce.
Both candidates were asked why they have applied for the position. Mr Kelmendi said that “being aware of the current economic situation in the country, the huge need for new employment and the importance of this institution, I decided that my thirty years of experience could be applied within this significant institution in which youth will be able to apply their knowledge and become part of [Kosovo’s] economic development.”
When asked why he had not applied for the position before, he said “after successfully establishing my own economy, I’m now ready to establish a sustainable one for the country and help speed up development.”
Since Besim Beqaj, the former president of the Chamber of Commerce, was announced as the new minister of integration, Safet Gërxhaliu has served as acting president. Asked why he is now applying for the permanent position, he said “my eight years of experience in Kosovo, after twenty years as part of the diaspora, have challenged me to become a ‘Chamber man’ and I have been enrolled in the chamber for eight years now, firstly as a senior official, then as external relations director, and my third post was a vice-president of the chamber’s assembly. Afterwards, the leading body of chambers assembly appointed me to be acting president, and I’m now running for president. Most importantly, I did not put myself forward, but 21 members of the council proposed that I should run for this position. Having worked closely with the two former presidents of the chamber, who have made the chamber into the best economic institution in the country, I have gained new skills.”
Mr Kelmendi was then asked about his comments in the press about malpractice by the Chamber’s council when appointing Mr Gërxhaliu as acting president. Mr Kelmendi argued that after Besim Beqaj was appointed as minister, according the 31st amendment of the chamber’s statutes he should have made a request to give up his position, and appoint an acting president within three months, during which time applications for the position should have been taken.
In response to Mr Kelmendi’s claims, Mr Gërxhaliu replied “it’s surprising to hear Mr Kelmendi saying such things, because he was one of the members who voted in favour of my appointment. Out of the 21 members present in the process of my appointment as acting president, only two voted against, and…all the media carried the fact that my appointment was only as acting president, not as president. Also, I immediately became involved in the process of appointing a new [president], in order for the chamber to be able to continue with its work. Anyway, I would only accept the claim that my appointment was not in accordance with the law if I heard it from a legal expert.”
Mr Kelmendi then asked his competitor how he will ensure that he will successfully replace Besim Beqaj.
Mr Gërxhaliu replied: “it is important for us to see where we have been, where we are now, and where we want to go, and be grateful for having someone like Besim Beqaj, who has visited the best universities in the world and, most importantly, brought all his knowledge to Kosovo. We don’t have to find a person like him, because it will be very hard to do so, but we have to look out for our general aims and objectives…we cannot think only of the past because we lose the present and cannot see the future.”
Mr Gërxhaliu then gave a question he would like to ask Mr Kelmendi: ”Considering his Machiavellian side, how would he be able to protect the interests of the business community, where he is currently creating a monopoly for his own small enterprises?”
Mr Kelmendi said that “according to the 29th amendment, the president of the chamber can be appointed from those members with large businesses. Even though this hasn’t happened so far, those making the rules foresaw that the chamber might be led by business leaders, and that such a thing would not represent a conflict of interests.”
Asked if he would use the chamber to increase the reputation and opportunities of his businesses, Mr Kelmendi said “no, I have developed a team at my business that can lead the company even without me, and it is my knowledge of business in general that would be used at the chamber.”
On the topic of their plans for their first projects if elected, Mr Kelmendi said “the chamber needs more practical management, not only the implementation of theories. By lobbying and talking to businesses and mayors, I have noted concerns and needs that the Chamber should take an initiative on. Many businesses in Kosovo suffer from inadequate business parks. So, I will create economic centres, from 100 hectares in small municipalities, up to 500 hectares areas in big municipalities. Without offering these environments to existing small or big businesses, we cannot expect economic growth.”
Mr Gërxhaliu’s said that “according to European and global development strategies, we should ‘think small’ in providing support to small and medium enterprises, empowering them by internationalising and investing in professional capacity. So, the future objectives of the chamber would be to empower small and medium enterprises, fighting corruption, promoting the value of working in Kosovo, and later the advantages for foreign investment in Kosovo.”
Domestic produce debate
Questions covered included: How much potential is there for local production in Kosovo? Is protecting domestic products an obligation of consumers or the government? What is happening with the proposed Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)? What is the level of food quality control in Kosovo?
To discuss these and other issues, host Edona Musa was joined in the studio by:
Flamur Keqa, director of the Trade Department at the Ministry of Trade and Industry
Berat Rukiqi, secretary of Kosova Chamber of Commerce
Ismet Bojku, member of Kosovo Business Alliance Board
Visar Ymeri, from the Vetëvendosje movement
Flamur Keqa was asked to what extent Kosovo has the potential to feed its self, to which he replied that it is impossible to provide a single answer, as many products would need to be considered, and that globalisation has changed the nature of trade: “Each state creates and produces goods and specialises in a few products that are produced in certain states or places.”
Kosovo might be supplying as little as 30%, or as much as 70%, of the needs for its own population, Mr Keqa continued. Asked if Kosovo has statistics on such matters, he replied that “we do have analyses, which are relative, but we don’t have accurate information on the basis of which we could know what agricultural products can be produced sufficiently for Kosovo’s consumer demand.”
That said, he concluded that it is in the interest of the economy and the wellbeing ofcitizens to have more goods being produced in Kosovo.
Berat Rukiqi was asked what proportion of Kosovo’s food is imported. He replied that “most produce is imported… more than 80% of the products consumed in Kosovo are imported.”
Asked from where produce is imported, Mr Rukiqi said that most was from other countries in the region “such as Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia. More than 40% of produce comes from Serbia.”
He went on to say that developing Kosovo’s food industry will require domestic and foreign investment.
Asked what he thinks about the import of food, Ismet Bojku said “referring to the previous question…yes, we do have potential and we have always had potential even for export. However, we are facing lack of domestic production because neither a short- nor long-term strategy has been developed for agricultural production by the government.”
Asked what domestic producers’ main demands are of the government, Mr Bojku said that there are many, but without stable energy supply, good road infrastructure and controlled imports, domestic producers cannot work efficiently.
Visar Ymeri was asked if the Vetëvendosje movement agree with the free market path Kosovo has chosen, and replied “this strategy has been imposed to us. We didn’t choose it, and [Kosovo] continues to become even more dependent.”
Mr Ymeri claimed that UNMIK, later the International Civilian Office and the governing institutions of Kosovo, have imposed imports on Kosovo. He went on to say that Kosovo does not have to follow the strategy of developed countries, but should develop its own import strategy in order to protect domestic producers. He also said that domestic producers should be financially and legally supported by the government.
Other reports
As part of the show, BIRN broadcast a report prepared by Artan Haraçia about some shops that do not sell Serbian products, and another by Petrit Kryeziu about the arguments between the principal and some teachers at Fatmir Berisha elementary school in Prizren.
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The report on the process of judicial appointments and reappointments analysis the flow of this process, specifically focusing on the bright and dark sides that have marred the process to its final stages.
COURT MONITORING ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2010 - FEBRUARY 2011
Court monitoring report is published as a result of a continuous monitoring of all municipal and districts courts of Kosovo. The findings of this report are based on the monitoring of 2,147 court hearings, by BIRN monitors.
THE PROCESS OF JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS
This report presents the results of part of BIRN's court monitoring project, specifically on the process for the appointment and reappointment of judges and prosecutors.
Follow the Paper Trail
\"Follow the Paper Trail\", a guide to document-based journalism in Kosovo, explains relevant laws, access to public documents, how to publish safely, where to find databases on investigative journalism, and how to locate documents online through various search engines.
Courts Monitoring Report 2010
A detailed analytical report about the work and administration of the courts in Prishtina, Peja, Prizren, Gjilan, Mitrovica, Ferizaj, Gjakova, Decan, Vushtrri, Poduleva, Lipjan, Klina and Istog. The report contains important information, collected by the network of monitors, placed in the major municipalities of Kosovo and aims to identify the key problems and issues that the justice system in Kosovo is facing.
REPORT: Monitoring the Courts 2009
Monitoring the work and administration of courts in Prishtina, Peja, Mitrovica, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Vushtrri and Skenderaj.
DIRECTLY ELECTED MAYOR SYSTEM IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE
The report on Directly Elected mayor System in Local Governance aims to provide a critical overview of the rationale and feasibility of the implementation of a municipal governance system that places the mayor as the central executive figure, during the third year of its application. The efficiency of this system was assessed based on the following pillars: the relationship between local government bodies, accountability of the municipal executive, respect for the law, the link between the mayor and the citizens, provision of public services (water supply and waste management, capital investments (in school and road projects)), level of transparency, public consultation and citizen participation in decision-making.
BIRN Report on Monitoring the Education System
Report on monitoring the elementary and high schools in Prishtina: Mitrovica, Ferizaj, Peja and Gjilan
Analytical report of the situation and the problems in the University of Prishtina
Report on Kosovo`s Healthcare System
Monitoring report on all primary, secondary and tertiary (University Clinical Center of Kosovo, UCCK) healthcare institutions in Pristina, Prizren, Peja, Mitrovica, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Gjakova, Klina, Decan, Istog and Vushtrri.
Situation and the Problems at the University of Prishtina
Analytical report of research into the standards and problems at the University of Prishtina. Ten years since the end of the war in Kosovo, the University of Prishtina (UP) continues to suffer from a variety of problems, resulting in persistently low quality courses being offered. For this reason, BIRN conducted research into the problems faced by UP students. The data gathered suggests that, out of the many issues reported, the most significant are: the non-implementation of contemporary teaching and assessment methods, the lack of practical work for students, the lack of appropriate academic literature, arbitrary assessments by
professors and generally poor relationships between students and their professors.
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The opinions expressed in Balkan Insight are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.
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