Privatization to be unblocked within days

Prishtina, 28 January 2004 – The KTA deputy director and local member of KTA Board, Ahmet Shala said yesterday for “Zeri” that the unblocking of the process of privatization would happen in the next couple of days.

‘Within a couple of days, the administrative and legal situation in KTA will be cleared, so that the process of privatization can continue,’ Shala added, without clarifying what he implies with this.

Shala made this statement during a meeting he had with businessmen from Albania and the introduction that he made surrounding the process of privatization. ‘Facts are on our side and we will soon resume the process,’ Shala said. ‘Very soon you will witness the third and fourth round. I have here the list of enterprises which will very soon be put out to tender.’

Shala also justified some changes in the operational policies of KTA. ‘The operational policies had some elements, which had to be changed,’ he was quoted as saying.

‘The mandate of the KTA runs until June 2005 and we have a period of 17 months to privatize 500 enterprises. If we compare 17 months with 500 enterprises then it becomes clear that there is a big number of enterprises that we must privatize,’ added Shala. ‘If we overcome the current problems surrounding the KTA, then we will reach the required number of privatized enterprises. We must certainly think about what is going to happen after June 2005.’