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Prishtinë, Nov 10, 2005 – It is still unclear whether the Post and Telecom of Kosovo (PTK) would pay 30 million euro to the Kosovo Budget in tax on extra profit, which it accumulated due to its monopolistic position. An experts’ working group, which was established by Kosovo’s Economic Fiscal Council, concluded that the PTK should pay 15 million euro to the Kosovo Budget only for 2005.
The Government and UNMIK have already agreed and recommended to the SRSG to sign a regulation supporting this decision.
But according to a PTK official, the PTK has not received any official document about this issue.
However, according to a document that the Kosovar daily “Kosova Sot” possesses, UNMIK Pillar IV recommended that a working group made of representatives from Pillar IV, ECF, and Legal Office prepare a proposal for the next meeting.
This group recommends an additional tax, which provides extra incomes up to 15 million euro to the Kosovo Budget 2006. The IMF reviewed and supported this proposal. This tax will not be applied once the second mobile operator is licensed in Kosovo, which is expected to take place next year.
55 public companies to be extra-taxed
Besides the PTK, the Government plans to apply an extra tax on all profitable companies. If the regulation is approved, the International Airport Prishtina will have to pay about 1 million euro on taxes.
Such regulation is expected to be approved soon. Kosovar daily “Express” reports that UNMIK and the SRSG support this regulation.
But even after this regulation gets approved, not all companies will have PTK’s fate. Some of them will be excluded because they have required financial means from the Kosovo Budget and they cannot pay extra taxes, such as with KEK, which required 66 million euro.
The newspaper numbered the public companies that enjoy monopolistic position in Kosovo – the PTK, Prishtina Airport, District Heating Companies in Prishtina and Gjakova, KEK, Waste, Water, and Irrigation companies, and UNMIK Railways.
ECIKS