According to a communication from GAP, in drafting the draft budget of 2024, the Government has shown itself to be more prudent in the planning of revenues and expenses. This is because a slower growth of budget revenues and expenses is predicted, with 5% and 3% respectively, reaching the amount of 3 billion euros and 3.3 billion euros.
"Capital expenditures are planned to increase more than current ones, however, their planned increase is relatively low compared to the previous year (15%). Among the main categories of current expenses, the category of salaries and allowances is planned to have an increase of 59.9 million euros or 8%, mainly due to the increase in the monetary value of the public sector salary coefficient from 105 to 110 euros. With the 2024 Budget Project, space has been created for 2,308 additional jobs, of which 1,793 for the central level (mainly in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (police) and the Ministry of Defense (KSF) and 515 for the municipal level. Out of a total of 859.2 million euros are planned for capital expenditures for the year 2024, about 83% are the continuation of previous projects and 17% are planned for new capital projects. The share of the budget allocated for capital investments in the Gross Domestic Product has a downward trend from 2017, and in the years 2021 and 2022 has remained unchanged, at the level of 8%. Moreover, the rate of realization of the budget allocated for capital investments remains low, at the level of 60% in 2022 and at the level of 35% until September of 2023. This year, the value of new central level capital investments intended for specific projects in municipalities is 21.8 million euros. Similar to last year, this year too, the government has allocated more funds to municipalities led by Vetëvendosje ( VV) where more than half of this amount (59.5% or 13 million euros) was directed to the four municipalities led by VV (Gjilan, Kamenica, Podujeva and Shtime). These municipalities make up 14.5% of the area in Kosovo and 11.6% of the population. In the draft budget of 2024, 14.5 million euros more are foreseen for the justice sector. Despite an increase in the budget for health of 42 million euros and for education for more than 54 million euros in 2024, Kosovo's expenditures per capita in these sectors remain low", the communiqué states.
The Government approved the 2024 draft budget on October 31, 2023, while the Assembly approved it in the first reading on November 16, 2023, while it is expected that the review and approval in the second reading will also take place.
