The Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade reacts to the defamation and insults published in one of the media portals, through the orchestrated and broadcasted interceptions during the last few days.
The Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade (MIET) would like to provide a clarification to the public opinion that, the rumors used in the broadcasted audio recordings are tendentious and untrue, alluding to the misuse of the State Reserve, serving to a political cause with the purpose of damaging the most sensitive process of state security and defense, and aimed at denigrating the image of Minister Rozeta Hajdari, by lowering her reputation and public image.
The Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade would like to inform the public that all procedures related to the supply of goods for the state reserve have been developed and continue to be carried out in accordance with the legislation in force, including the Law on State Reserve Goods of the Republic of Kosovo, the Law on Budget Appropriations for the Budget of the Republic of Kosovo for the Year 2022, the Law on Protection of Classified Information and the Decision No. 01/65 of 26.02.2022, of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo.
In 2021, the MIET has announced three procurement procedures for the purchase a quantity of the State Reserve, out of which, one procurement procedure has been completed successfully, while two procurement procedures have failed, due to non-bidding of economic operators.
In the first quarter of 2022, the supply of goods of the State Reserve, basic for the life of citizens, has been considered as a matter of national security, at the time when the war in Ukraine began and when the supply of goods for the State Reserve in our country could be found only in smaller quantities, which are necessary for the livelihood and protection of population, in case of any supply crisis.
While the war in Ukraine brought disruption of supply chains and lack of basic goods, due to termination of exports by many countries, and increase in global inflation and prices, the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, at the request of MIET, increased the budget for the State Reserve and made a decision on the exemption of the State Reserve Goods from the procurement procedures for the supply of products in accordance with the above-mentioned legislation in force.
The state reserve goods shall be created to interfere in operational manner for protection of the population, economy in the event of market distortion, and defending the country and other situations defined in Article 2 of Law No. 03/l-244 on State Reserves Goods.
Despite the impact of the war in Ukraine, with export bans and disruptions to supply chains of basic goods of life, the MIET, through the Department of State Reserve Goods-DSRG, increased the amount of state reserves by 30 times, thereby increasing the national security.
MIET would like to ensure that the process of supplying of the State Reserve goods, with the defined quality standards and parameters, is being considered and monitored in accordance with the legislation in force and that there is no misuse of public money. State reserve contracts are classified at the secret level, in accordance with the relevant legislation in force.
The Ministry is committed to continue with increasing the State Reserve even this year, in accordance with the Law on Budget Appropriations for the Budget of the Republic of Kosovo for the Year 2023, in order to ensure that citizens in exceptional circumstances have state support in overcoming eventual crisis situations.
The Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade has taken all legal steps for denouncing defamation and insults to the Justice bodies, and at the same time, it provides full cooperation to all competent institutions for the matter in question.