The Kosovo Chamber of Commerce (KCC) and the company GEOtest from Czech Republic have launched the online platform for drafting business plans. This activity is organized within the activity “Assistance in creating business plans for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kosovo”.
KCC through this platform aims to ease doing business in Kosovo, because a large number of companies from Kosovo do not have a business plan, which also has an impact on reducing their competitiveness and also increases the difficulties in accessing finances. Czech Ambassador in Kosovo, Virezslav Pur, said that the project amount is EUR 30 million and it aims that the assistance of Czech experts to be in function of SME development. "This project is focused on businesses and is focused on enabling trade and trade liberalization and better integration into the international trade system. The program focuses on capacity building of SMEs". "This way the parties receive our experts and our experience and they are taught on how to utilize that experience"
Safet Gërxhaliu, the chair of KCC, said that this project is of special importance, since according to him business plan is essential to absorb the means from the European Union (EU). "This is a multi-dimensional partnership, in the economic aspect it is a partnership that will generate something that is very important for the private sector and especially for SMEs and we are strengthening a mechanism that is a key to success for absorbing the means from the European Union or donors because the key mechanism for absorption is a business plan and I believe that such a platform that is designed and prepared according to European standards and criteria is of undisputable importance".
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Faton Thaçi, thanked the organizers of the seminar and the Czech Embassy and expressed the willingness for cooperation between public institutions and the private sector, thus building a partnership that guarantees new employment opportunities and direct impact on the economic growth of the country. Further on, Mr. Thaçi unveiled the steps that have been taken in order to improve the facilitation of doing business activities as well as facilities in the field of fiscal policies for lifting the tariffs and customs duties on raw materials and machinery. Deputy Minister Thaçi further added that "we as public institutions, specifically the Government of Kosovo in partnership with the private sector – SMEs will work and engage together in teamwork which:
Will be realized, will increase and strengthen the partnership between Government and private sector for economic development and growth,
We will work for a more competitive, transparent and efficient functioning of markets in all sectors of the economy,
Through concrete measures and policies, we will encourage and support the free markets, elimination of monopolies and informality (black market), fiscal evasion and any other form that undermines the normal functioning of free markets in Kosovo,
We will maximize the monitoring and control mechanisms for the efficiency of institutional measures and structures of market supervision in Kosovo,
We will improve the method of organizing and functioning of various institutions as regulators in order to regulate and supervise the markets.
We will develop, harmonize and coordinate all fiscal and trade policies of facilitating goods for our local manufacturers in relation to the countries of the region.
We will engage and work together so the State and the private sector to be fully aware about the promotion and expansion of economic development. Together we will combat and eliminate the informal economy and fiscal evasion,
In order to consolidate the business in Kosovo, we will select or structure the business in Kosovo, which will make the basic structure of economic development in Kosovo, regulation of the internal market etc".