In order to develop the most effective industrial and technological parks for doing business in the Republic of Kosovo, the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade organized a roundtable discussion with mayors and representatives from all municipalities, as well as representatives from industrial, manufacturing, and service sector associations, and with rectors and deans from public and private universities.
During the discussion, the Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Mrs. Rozeta Hajdari, highlighted the importance of close and constructive cooperation between the government, at both central and local levels, industry and academia, with the aim to consolidate and properly operate existing certified economic zones, as well as identify new areas to transform them into efficient industrial and technological parks, based on key performance indicators.
Minister Hajdari informed attendees about new reforms for economic zones. These reforms include the drafting of the Industrial Policy 2030, which was adopted in June 2023 and is now being implemented, the drafting of the new Law on Industrial and Technological Parks, which entered into force on the November 30, 2023, as well as for the budget commitments through the Law on Budgetary Allocations for the Budget of the Republic of Kosovo for the year 2024 and the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework 2024-2026, with 33 million Euros of capital investments allocated for the next 3 years for the construction of industrial and technological parks in the Republic of Kosovo.
Encouraging municipalities and industry associations to take the lead in creating industrial parks and technological parks, Minister Hajdari emphasized the importance of having all required documentation and institutional consents in place as a prerequisite for the timely certification process for industrial parks and technological parks. Minister Hajdari highlighted the new reform introduced through the Law on Industrial and Technological Parks. The aim of this law is to regulate the establishment, administration, particularly management, promotion, use, and monitoring of economic zones, now designated as industrial and technological parks, including business incubators in the Republic of Kosovo.
Also present at the roundtable discussion was the Minister of Local Government Administration, Mr. Elbert Krasniqi, who emphasized that while the requirements of municipalities may vary, the common goal should be to create optimal working conditions, and to develop and strengthen businesses.
After the presentations of the key reforming articles of the Law on Industrial and Technological Parks by Mrs. Valbona Dushi, the Director of the Department of Industry, the main findings from the study of economic zones on the importance of industrial and technological parks were presented by Mr. Vogler Bjorn from the German Economic Team (GET). Additionally, Mr. Zef Dedaj, Acting General Director of the Kosovo Investments and Enterprise Support Agency (KIESA), provided information on the ongoing and planned financial support from MIET for the construction of industrial and technological parks.
Following these presentations, there was an open and very fruitful discussion among the participants who assessed that such communications and collaborations are not only necessary but also beneficial for all parties involved.
