The speech by the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Hashim Thaçi, on the presentation of the Government’s Program following the first one hundred days of the Government’s Cabinet.
Prishtina, 18 April 2008
The Government’s Program represents the basis for Kosovo as a state belonging to its citizens, that is developed and in harmony with democratic principles, a state of a free and sustainable economy, of a multiethnic environment and with a clear commitment towards Euro-Atlantic processes.
The Republic of Kosovo is going through the transition stage and in this program we are focused on articulating the immediate needs of this stage.
The Government represents this program based on its and our country’s capacities and potentials. This program aims at managing these opportunities, strategic development of our country and creation of a favorable position in the international politics.
This program represents the commitment of the Government to consolidate the institutions, to complement the legislation, to consolidate the public administration in harmony with the European standards and to establish the rule of law throughout the territory of Kosovo.
This program aims at responding to the requests and needs of our people, through responsible and transparent policies that will lead Kosovo towards a rapid and sustainable economic growth and creation of a safe and secure environment for all its citizens.
This program will strengthen mutual trust and honest and correct cooperation for all, within and outside Kosovo, through offering partnership, justice, more qualitative education, through securing investments that will create new jobs and will improve the welfare of all the people.
This program can be implemented in close cooperation with all the political players, including the civil society, business community, academic institutions and international partners.
In this program the priorities are divided in four main pillars:
Economic growth,
Implementation of status,
Good governance,
Alleviation of poverty and social sustainability
These priorities are a result of a long process of consultation within the Government, with the municipalities and with the civil society.
The goal of the Government is to make these priorities achievable and sustainable in the fiscal aspect. Their cost will be determined by the mid-term expenditure framework along an opportunity to apply with concrete projects at the Donors’ Conference.
These priorities show our seriousness to start with concrete and challenging issues of economic and social development of Kosovo.
Economic growth
Economic growth will be realized through intensification of investments, privatization and restructuring of public enterprises, promotion of competing capabilities and increasing of export in the economy.
The current energy capacities and the weak road infrastructure represent barriers for a sustainable economic development, but also the rule of law and the financial sectors that are still developing.
I am convinced that the natural resources potential that Kosovo possesses and their use will increase economic development and will decrease the unemployment rates, will improve the social conditions and will alleviate poverty.
This program offers an opportunity to create a suitable environment for attracting foreign investments and also to become competitive with the countries of the region.
Other opportunities provided by the program will be qualitative investments aiming at improving of productivity, especially in the energy sector, the road infrastructure, education quality, policies and a proper financial market and genuine rule of law.
Agriculture sector is important and the program pays special attention to it, in order to allow for the revitalization of the sector so that it plays a direct impact on reducing unemployment.
So, aiming at economic growth, the Government of Kosovo will concentrate its engagement on the energy and mining sectors, on transport, rule of law, qualitative education, agriculture, tax policies and the financial sector.
Energy and mines
A qualitative and sustainable energy supply is a precondition for the overall development of Kosovo and the Government has committed itself to achieving that during its mandate.
This program allows for a healthy energy policy, supports a business environment and attracts international investments.
This program foresees a quick and sustainable development of Kosovo in using natural resources through extraction and processing and also through adding its value in the international market, ensuring a considerable employment in the industrial sector.
This program allows necessary structural and organizational measures for a sustainable energy supply, in accordance with the international approaches and practices, in order to improve the electro-energy sector and turn it into a sector that doesn’t only supply but that also strongly supports the development of the country.
In the short term, the overcoming of the energy crisis is foreseen in three stages.
Through involvement of the private capital, Kosovo can start agreements on concession or privatization through a transparent and well-managed process that would bring huge benefits to Kosovo.
In the mid-term plan, the goal of the Government is to build the Power Plant C, a project that will follow the dynamic in accordance with the timeframe set after technical assistance by the World Bank, EAR and the USAID and other advanced forms of transparent and competing offers, taking into consideration the social and environmental impact.
With regards to production of electricity, apart from the lignite based ways, there will also be researching for other potentials to produce energy, like the hydro power plants in Zhur, etc., or also the windmills.
In the mining sector, there will be conditions created for an efficient and transparent use, creation of a suitable and attractive environment for investing and planning and development of this sector according to European, environment and social standards.
Transport and Telecommunications
This program allows for an infrastructure that will enable Kosovo become part of regional and European integrations.
These investments will be oriented towards building of highways, new roads, widening and rehabilitation of existing roads, regulation of road cadastre and increasing of road safety.
Special attention has also been paid to the railway transport, where investments have been foreseen to improve and revitalize the existing railway system. Furthermore, the building of new infrastructure is foreseen, investing in developing services and security at the railway transport.
In the field of aviation, we will have capacities to invest in modernizing and developing the Prishtina International Airport. There will be an increase in the air navigation operations, the Gjakova airport will be made available for commercial purposes but also as an alternative airport, and there will also be creation of a helicopters unit.
Telecommunications will be reformed with new legislation and technology. The public telephone operator will be consolidated. The telephone service will be increased, extended and improved, likewise the mail and internet services, through special or combined ways of public and private financing.
Education
Education is an important part of this program, of the priorities of the Government and of any development strategy and it is a long-term investment in the human capital.
The Government’s education program is based on knowledge, economy and employment and is a joint inter-sectional focus of the entire Government. Qualitative education, more qualitative governance, links of education with economic and social development, improving of the material situation and capacity buildings for research and scientific work.
Rule of law
Guaranteeing a rule-of-law state with a complete and harmonized legal system, with an independent and unbiased judicial and prosecution system, and creation of better conditions for the employees in this system and the cooperation with other local and international agencies in fighting organized crime, that have a direct impact on improving the lives of the people and the image of our Republic, and intensifying of Euro-Atlantic integration are amongst the top priorities and our Government will be maximally engaged in implementing them.
With this program we aim to have a safe environment in the entire territory of Kosovo and for all the citizens of Kosovo. This program allows for adoption of plans to manage the emergent situations.
Issuing civil documents of the state of Kosovo to the people will be an immediate preoccupation of the Government.
Tax policies will be reviewed in order to improve the competitiveness level in rapport with the countries of the region, without jeopardizing the sustainability of the Kosovo budget.
Tax norms will be encouraging for the businesses and the identified administrative problems will be reviewed. All this is done to ensure a sustainable economic growth and for the tax system to be instrumental to the economic efficiency.
In the financial sector, we will be engaged in reducing the interest rates that are relatively high and not very encouraging for investments.
This program allows for creation of a safe environment for banking businesses, through strengthening the supervisory authority of this system and through consolidating the banking system to the benefit of businesses.
Implementation of the status
The functioning and democratic state and the full implementation of the Status Agreement will be achieved in cooperation with the international partners and the same with the creation of the new institutions both at the central and local levels. In this respect, we will create diplomatic missions in the world, the security force, as a professional force also as a result of KPC transformation, and also of other institutions involved in the security field, minorities, decentralization, etc.
Integration of communities and return of IDPs
This program allows for concrete support for the development and the integration of ethnic communities, it also supports financing of sustainable returns, individual and organized, and also allocation and coordination of additional funds, apart from the one from the Kosovo budget, for returns and the integration of the communities. In this field, we will cooperate also with the central and local institutions, local and international, NGOs and the civil society.
Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kosovo has been included in this program, foreseeing the intensification of the process of recognition of the state of Kosovo, strengthening of special relations with the US and EU member states, neighboring and other countries, building of Kosovo’s diplomatic and consular services, full membership of our country in the main international political, economic and financial organizations and institutions, protection of the interests of our citizens abroad and the promotion of Kosovo’s identity in the international arena.
Good governance is one of the preoccupations of our Government. A clear division of competencies and responsibilities in all the fields and activities, good and transparent services, accountability for public money expenditures, public administration reform and other activities that ensure good governance, are all part of this program.
Alleviation of poverty and social sustainability is foreseen in this program as a permanent and long-term priority, through improving of pension system and other social aspects and also in the health sector. The social assistance for poor families is the main goal of the social protection scheme. For people that cannot support themselves and their families, the Government will support them through guaranteeing minimal income for a decent life.
Health care and education for children living in poverty is included here.
For individuals and groups with special needs, this program provides the necessary care, through respecting, realizing and protecting their rights.
Continuation of payment of pensions and looking into the possibilities to harmonize them with the value of the food basket expenditure, and the payment of the pension supplement for those who have contributed in the former system, are included in this program.
Health
Creation of a sustainable health sector and creation of conditions for improving the health care system for the people are parts of the program, through allowing the health professionals to be rewarded for providing a qualitative health care.
Applying of health insurance law and its adaptation with realistic capacities for its implementation are part of this program.
Other Government’s policies
Developing of the private sector through the strategy and direct foreign investment in tourism, industrial development, protection of consumers and building of a competitive society with the countries of the region and of the EU, are parts of this program. This program points out the commitment of the Government to organize the local government in accordance with the European Charter on Local Government.
Environment protection and spatial planning covers air, water and land and includes development of a legal basis and implementation of international reforms that will be part of the program that will ensure the quality of spatial planning, direct the development of urban and rural infrastructure and activities that guarantee protection of a living environment, ensure a drinkable water supply, and improve sewage system and waste management.
Gender equality is an obligation in our policies and the current legislation that will be respected.
Culture
Proper care for the culture and the artistic community will be permanent through investments in artistic and cultural projects and revival of the cultural life, including investments in protection of cultural heritage, and also support for the cultural institutions at the central and municipal level.
Focusing on supporting sports and its internationalization, creation of conditions for Kosovo sportspeople are part of this program. The young population of Kosovo represents a challenging position and foresees multi-sectional policies providing Kosovo youth with opportunities to advance and this will be done also in cooperation with the central and municipal level, local and international, and also with the NGOs.
Registration of population (census) and households and apartments will create conditions for multidimensional development of Kosovo making it considerably easier to draft development policies for the country.
Our Diaspora is large and strong and needs to enjoy the support of the Government through creation and drafting of policies that facilitate their communication with the home country and these people in the Diaspora need to be informed on developments in Kosovo.
These are some short points of the Program of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo covering the period 2008 – 2011, which you got in written in due time. This program is a living document and will be adapted to the development needs of the time.
I look forward to your assessment and suggestions which we will incorporate making the program more qualitative for Kosovo and its people.