The Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated in the Forum on “Liberalization of the Electricity Market: Effects and Mitigating Measures,” organized by the National Council for Economy and Investments.
During the forum, opened by the Council’s Secretary Artan Mehmeti, participants discussed the impact of energy market liberalization and ways to cooperate in managing this challenge, as foreseen by the Law on Electricity adopted in 2016. Kurti stated that the government is aware that businesses affected by the liberalization may face increased costs, especially manufacturing enterprises.
On this occasion, he assured that the Government of Kosovo will stand by domestic producers to listen to their main concerns and support needs during the liberalization process.
“Our shared goal is clear: to ensure a manageable and fair transition to a free market, where no one is left behind and where competition and investment drive development. As a government, we will always stand by our producers and ensure that this process is accompanied by concrete support measures, so that local producers are not left unprotected and can continue to grow, develop, and increasingly penetrate foreign markets with our products,” said Kurti, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister.
He outlined concrete steps being taken to overcome this challenge, including:
Designing grant schemes for energy efficiency and renewable energy to reduce electricity consumption, with direct support set to increase with the upcoming budget review;
Launching public calls through KIESA to subsidize micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for the purchase of production and processing machinery, with a planned budget of €5 million;
Supporting energy audits to reduce energy consumption and electricity costs.
Kurti also highlighted other government support over the past four years, such as increased access to capital, new markets, modern infrastructure, a qualified and motivated workforce, and reduced administrative burdens.
Meanwhile, Acting Minister of Economy Artane Rizvanolli said that electricity market liberalization is an obligation stemming from Kosovo’s participation in the Energy Community and its integration into the regional and European energy market, a process already implemented by most countries in the region.
She also revealed work on a new support scheme for businesses focused on energy efficiency:
“We are currently finalizing a new support scheme for manufacturing businesses with the help of LuxDev Development. This scheme will support energy efficiency through investments in building insulation, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for electricity production, solar thermal systems for water heating, batteries for PV systems, and reactive power controllers to enhance the efficiency of existing production equipment.”
The forum was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, Minister of Economy Artane Rizvanolli, Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade Rozeta Hajdari, producers, business representatives, and representatives of economic chambers and the National Council for Economy and Investments.
