The Chambers of Commerce and Industry have requested a one-year postponement of the free energy market, while appealing for massive participation of businesses and citizens in the protest to be held tomorrow against the decision of the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) regarding the free energy market, which came into effect on June 1, KosovaPress writes.
At a press conference, it was announced that tomorrow’s protest will be held from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at “Skënderbeu” Square in Pristina.
“We are asking the Government of Kosovo to respond positively, to help businesses, the economy, and the citizens of Kosovo by giving an additional opportunity to postpone the free market for a transitional phase of one year while the market prepares. Then, businesses along with the government and the relevant ministries should prepare a legal package to manage this transition phase. If the government does not respond, we will be forced to protest. This is not our desire, but we do this because of the situation businesses are in, which has been created by the ERO with its sudden decision to launch the free market. This is a violent expulsion of 1,300 businesses into the free market,” said the Chairman of the Kosovo Economic Chamber, Lulzim Rafuna.
The Chairman of the Board of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Skënder Krasniqi, said that out of 1,300 businesses, only three have reached agreements with KEK.
“Over 99 percent of businesses have not reached agreements because they are not satisfied and they understand the consequences of this agreement… We call on the citizens who will be most affected, the workers and businesses, to come out tomorrow in the square and protest against this rushed decision. All businesses made their plans for this year without considering the price increase since they don’t even know what the price will be at the end of each month because it will be a market price, which is unpredictable, and prices will then skyrocket causing great damage,” said Krasniqi.
On May 29, businesses protested to express dissatisfaction with the process of businesses entering the free electricity market, blocking entrances and exits in Pristina.
