Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, has said that they currently have difficulties providing food for the KSF soldiers, but emphasized that they are working to create self-sustainability for food provision. He said that after the signing of the operator's contract for food supply, they are in a transitory phase, where they are being supplied through contracts that are signed by the Central Procurement Authority, while he said they are being assisted only by personnel from the Student Canteen and the Correctional Service. Maqedonci while reporting to the Commission for Security and Defense said that the variety of food for the soldiers may be missing at this stage until the situation of the economic operator is resolved, which is being handled by the internal control mechanisms in the Ministry of Defense.

Before the deputies, the minister Maqedonci he also spoke about the departure of soldiers from the KSF, where he said that so far in 2024, 119 soldiers have left voluntarily, but added that 300 people have applied for 1555 new recruitment positions.

Ministers Maqedonci said that he did not sign any classified contract with any operators for the supply of food to KSF soldiers, but admitted that a similar contract was first classified and then declassified, but that he did not give other details after the discussion in the committee it must be done behind closed doors.

PDK MP Hisen Berisha welcomed the discontinuance with the same economic operators for food supply to the KSF soldiers. He gave some examples that according to him, the same operator did not send drinks as it was foreseen in the contract, but the soldiers drank a drink as he said of "Coca Cola".

However, he said that the lack of food in the KSF barracks is regrettable and worrying.

On the other hand, the deputy of LDK, Anton Quni, said that the Ministry of Defense had enough time to prepare since it was known that on September 30 the contract for the supply of food for the soldiers expires.

He said that the KSF's own provision of food is a concept that no NATO member country practices, but external operators are always contracted.

Despite this, the deputy from the LVV, Dimal Basha, considered the self-sustainability of the FSK in terms of food for the soldiers to be necessary. He said that the same economic operator (Beni Dona) has received tenders for 12 consecutive years in the KSF, but that there have been frequent cases of poisoning of soldiers.

Asked about the relations with the Deputy Minister of Defense, Shemsi Syla, the minister Maqedonci said that there may be disagreements, but that there are no bad relations with the same.

He refused to discuss the names of other companies that have applied to supply food to KSF soldiers.

Regarding the departure of soldiers from the KSF, the minister Maqedonci said that during this year so far 119 soldiers have left voluntarily.

However, he said that it is encouraging that 300 people have applied for 1555 vacant positions for soldiers.  

The acting director of Human Resources in the KSF, colonel Arife Halili, gave more details about the reasons for the departure and their positions.

She said that in addition to the departure of 119 members of the KSF, there have been 77 retirements so far.

However, LDK MP Anton Quni expressed concern about the number of applicants, who compared it to 2020, where he said that then 400 people applied for 5400 places.

The commission then continued the closed meeting for the media./KosovaPress/