Regarding the situation in the capital, the Mayor of Prishtina, Përparim Rama, stated that he is ready to meet with Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Acting Minister of Finance Hekuran Murati, anywhere and anytime, although yesterday Murati did not allow Rama to be present at the meeting with the heads of the Urban Traffic unions.
After the two-hour protest by public transport workers, Rama said that the situation remains the same.
At a press conference, Rama said that he has been warning for months about the financial blockade being imposed on the capital by the Ministry of Finance.
“Unfortunately, today we are still in the same situation as yesterday with the protests, which I fully understand. I apologize to the citizens for this position. We have been warning for months about the blockades being imposed on the capital. The ministry continues to keep municipal funds illegally blocked. This problem could have been solved immediately. Yesterday we were also with the protesters in front of the government, where I requested a meeting with the minister and the acting prime minister, but they refused. I am still ready today to meet immediately wherever they wish to meet and unblock this process. This is not a problem, but it is being made into one,” Rama said.
Mayor Rama announced that on Thursday there will be an extraordinary session, during which the issue of an additional 28 million euros for municipal revenues will also be addressed.
“We have also called an extraordinary session for Thursday, with the existing mandates… We currently have 35 million blocked for several months; on Thursday we will include an additional 28 million in the session. I call on all assembly members to vote for the additional 28 million so that the capital has options. This is not an issue with the capital’s funds; there are enough funds to pay all operators, so we have no problem with the operators. The problem lies with the Ministry of Finance,” Rama said.
He also posed a question to Acting Minister Hekuran Murati, asking why he is blocking 35 million euros of the capital’s funds, addressing him:
“I am ready to meet with any invitation, anytime, until we unblock this problem. They called the meetings but told us not to come, continuing with lies and falsehoods that unnecessarily escalate the situation. The 35 million that are being blocked do not require any vote from assembly members; the law allows this transfer. These are the capital’s funds. The only problem is a pure political blockade—I don’t know what calculations they made, but I am sure it won’t go well for them. My question to Hekuran Murati is simple: how long will you try to throw dust in citizens’ eyes with other topics? Focus on the relevant issue. Why are you blocking 35 million of the capital’s funds?” Rama declared.
It is the second day that Urban Traffic and public-private transport workers are protesting, demanding the debt owed to them by the municipality.
Today, they blocked the capital’s streets with buses, demanding an immediate solution.
They have warned that protests will continue until the funds are transferred to Urban Traffic.
