Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, stated that the time of barricades has passed and that new ones will not be allowed, responding to a planned protest by some businesses intending to block the main entrances to Prishtina from 10:00 to 12:00 in opposition to the liberalization of the electricity market, effective June 1.
Kurti said that the decision to move to an open market will affect 1,200 companies, which is only 1% of all businesses in Kosovo.
“300 of these, as producers and the largest consumers, will be most affected, but this process is not unexpected,” Kurti said during the government meeting on Thursday.
He emphasized that the Electricity Law was adopted in 2016, and the first phase of liberalization started in 2017. The second phase has been postponed several times over the past eight years, giving businesses enough time to prepare.
Kurti highlighted that companies have benefited from regulated tariffs and subsidies worth 26 million euros, and the government supported them during the pandemic and the energy crisis. He mentioned concrete support measures like energy efficiency schemes, installation of solar panels, and subsidies for more efficient equipment and vehicles.
In direct remarks towards the Economic Chamber, Kurti criticized its role in organizing the protest.
“The Economic Chamber, which should have stood with businesses to face the new reality, is now trying to block main roads with demands for postponement. But what the Chamber is not telling them is that their demand for a one-year delay does not solve the problem; it only shifts the energy cost to everyone’s bills,” Kurti said.
He concluded his speech with a call for reflection:
“We cannot protect 1% of businesses at the expense of the other 99%. The time of barricades is over. We have removed them wherever they were and will not allow new ones. We urge businesses to think wisely, and we will support them,” Kurti declared.
The liberalization of the electricity market means that large businesses will no longer benefit from regulated tariffs and will be forced to secure supply through the open market.
