The Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPK) approved on Monday a request for an additional budget worth €11.142 million from the Assembly of Kosovo for the year 2027. While the planned budget for 2027 was over €21 million, the Deputy Chair of the KPK, Dardan Vuniqi, said that the budget planning is insufficient to meet legal obligations toward staff, economic operators, experts, and lawyers.
At the meeting held on Monday, Vuniqi said that the main challenges include a lack of necessary positions, insufficient budget for salary and wage categories, goods and services, and capital investments, reports KosovaPress.
Vuniqi explained that the budget request also includes the addition of 39 new positions for State Prosecutors.
“In the budget request, three strategic objectives are included according to the strategic plan and the medium-term expenditure framework for 2027–2029: strengthening the rule of law, efficiency in combating crime, transparency, and access to justice. Each of these strategic objectives includes activities and indicators according to the strategic plan. From a budget perspective, the main challenges are the lack of necessary positions, insufficient budget in the categories of salaries and wages, insufficient budget for goods and services, as well as a lack of budget for capital investments. The needs and additional positions for 2026 include a request for 39 new prosecutors and 146 administrative staff positions,” Vuniqi said.
He said that failing to approve the budget request being adopted today would lead to major difficulties and failure to fulfill obligations.
“The approved budget and staff numbers across all economic categories for 2027 amount to 969 positions, salaries and wages over €40.598 million, goods and services over €3.694 million, municipal expenses €299,116. Other capital expenditures are €2.534 million, while subsidies and transfers amount to €14,000. The total approved budget for 2027 is €21,141,298. Accordingly, the gap between the approved and planned budget increases the budget request by €11.142 million. If the budget requests are not approved according to this plan, the difficulties the Prosecutorial System will face include staff shortages, a low number of prosecutors compared to the needs and demands of the courts, a lack of professional associates, a lack of mediation officers, and victim protection officers,” he said.
The KPK approved the budget request, where Chair Arian Gashi said that the budget proposal will be sent to the Assembly of Kosovo, adding that these requests are necessary to fulfill legally defined duties.
