New draft can delay privatisation for several years

Prishtina, 05 March 2004 – There is still no sign that a final consensus between locals and internationals can be found in order to rescue the privatisation process in Kosovo, “Kosova Sot” reports. If this is added the confusion and ambiguities prevailing in KTA, it can easily be concluded that privatisation will remain in a deadlock for some time yet. The Government continues to request Mari Fucci’s dismissals and immediate restart of the process, points out Kosova Sot, adding that contrary to announcements there ‘does not seem to be a light in the tunnel’.

Ahmet Shala, KTA deputy director, told Kosova Sot that the modification in operational policies are very alarming. ‘Locals and internationals in the KTA Board must find consensus and I don’t want to think that the locals will be outvoted in case operational policies are offered for adoption. These operational policies are unprofessional and counterproductive,’ Shala is quoted as saying. He added that since the arrival of Marie Fucci in KTA there was no internal communication in KTA’s hierarchy. ‘Those who have drafted the policies avoid any kind of open and professional debate,’ added Shala.

Kosova Sot further quotes Bahri Shabani, Independent Trade Unions chairman, as saying that with the arrival of Marie Fucci many things were going to the detriment of the process rather than to its further development. ‘We will strongly reject the operational policies draft if it is presented to us. However, I fear that the draft will be returned to New York and we know how long it takes then… therefore this procedure will take years,’ Shabani is quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Minister of Trade and Industry, Ali Jakupi, also told Kosova Sot that changes to operational policies will not be accepted unless they are openly discussed.
‘I do not exclude the possibility that the KTA regulation will be sent again to New York to obtain the green light, that’s why I think there will be considerable dragging of the process,’ Jakupi is quoted as saying.

In closing, Kosova Sot writes that in the meantime there is no news from KTA and UNMIK Pillar IV on the latest developments of the controversial process of privatisation in Kosovo.

ECIKS