Minister of Trade and Industry, Endrit Shala, said that Kosovar businesses are facing many barriers during their export in CEFTA countries, all for political reasons.
Shala speaking at the Albanian-wide economic forum "Opportunity and Challenges of Trade Relations Kosovo-Albania" stressed that barriers to Kosovar businesses are rarely reported, but, according to him, are evident and these barriers are the basic reasons for the trade balance that Kosovo is currently facing, however, MTI is doing its best to eliminate it.
"Kosovo's economy is a small economy, it is a consumption economy, among economies having the least exports in relation to other CEFTA member countries. All this, not because we do not have enough production or that we do not have quality production, but because of the political reasons, the tariff and non-tariff barriers that have been set by CEFTA countries in relation to Kosovo's exporter. Unfortunately, these barriers are rarely reported by our responsible institutions, nor by business representatives. Fortunately, after last year, after my chairmanship in CEFTA during 2018, this report has begun to change. Already every barrier that exists during the export of Kosovo products, except that are reported, we will make it impossible to also eliminate it, "said Minister Shala.
The Minister has invited businesses from Albania to report barriers to the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
"Honoured representatives of Albanian businesses, I will take this opportunity to invite you to use MTI to report any barrier that comes across even during the export of your products in the Republic of Kosovo, because our position is to respect all the agreements reached, open our markets for Albanian products and have nationwide economic growth. But at the same time I seek the same treatment for Kosovar producers who export to Albania. Our exported and imported products should not be treated by our governments differently, they must be treated indiscriminately as Albanian products, "Shala said.
He announced that many reports on tariff and non-tariff barriers that exist within CEFTA member countries, an organization that includes all countries in the region, show that Kosovo is the most discriminated country in terms of the barriers imposed by these countries.
"Therefore, as a result of these barriers, Kosovar exports are the lowest in the region," said Shala.
Minister Shala said that CEFTA markets, including the Albanian markets, are the main export destination of Kosovo and, according to him, any obstacles that exporters face in accessing these markets have significant growth and development implications.
"In this regard, addressing unjustifiably barriers to trade is of high priority on the agenda of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo. Based on some analyses and studies conducted by MTI, it emerges that Kosovo has undergone a growing structural deficit in its regional trade, becoming the main import destination for exports of other members of CEFTA, "said Shala.
"But at this time, this is changing because we are addressing all the complaints of our exporters in the region and beyond, all these problems presented will be resolved or we will establish reciprocity. Kosovo's trade balance will change because our products are of the required standards, and political issues should not and will not affect this growth of Kosovo's export and economy, "Shala said.
The minister has invited producers to take advantage of these times to boost trade exchanges.
"When trade with Serbia has fallen to a minimum as a result of the 100 per cent mass proposed by me in order to gain market share in the Republic of Kosovo. We are very much interested in replacing all Serbian products and the products of other countries with your products," said Minister Shala.
