Today, with the invitation of Prime Minister, and with the organization of the Ministry of Trade and Industry was held a meeting with owners of shopping centers in Kosovo with the subject: Support to domestic products in the internal market.
Main objective of this meeting was to discuss openly with owners of shopping center for creation of supporting conditions for local products by enabling them sufficient space at the markets of our country.
In his speech, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa stated that the empowering of businesses was, is and will remain one of main objectives of this government, and through strong and powerful businesses we will have a sustainable economy, also much safer future of Kosovo as a country in this part of the Balkan, even within the European family.
The Prime Minister Mustafa added that "trade, in general, has the largest share in the gross domestic product of Kosovo. It has a share of 12 percent, which exceeds the participation of any other branch of the economy, and it should be assessed as a separate weight, but over the past years, we have made efforts along trade and services which have dominated the Kosovar economy, and in order to establish the necessary conditions to make richer our trade sector with local products, we have given the priority to the production and agricultural sector as a separate manufacturing sector, to export local products in order to improve the foreign trade balance, and to have the possibility for creating new jobs, because these jobs can be created mostly through manufacturing sector.
The Prime Minister added that "what we would like to achieve together with you, is to have a more local products in to your markets, and your trade flow, always by respecting the business terms and conditions in Kosovo.”
In her addressing to the attendees, the Minister Hykmete Bajrami said that the Government in its focus has economic development agenda. She added that "under the coordination of PM Mustafa all institutions have worked, to have a batter business environment, which already is confirmed through international reports and organizations, as well as through business representatives of the country."
She further stated that "The history of our country for the last three decades has made things to be more difficult. As you know, after 10 years of classic occupation and the war in our country during 1998-1999, economic life began with almost 100% of imports. The beginning of production was difficult because there wasn’t any continuation, but despite this, the entrepreneurial spirit existed. The country's hardworking citizens started to produce, some of them today are present in most developed international markets. To these entrepreneurs and smellers’ one, certainly your support was help for them; also for each product is very important testing and its acceptance by local market, and the access to the local market producers can have through you” she told to present businessmen.
Minister Bajrami thanked markets network for their continuous support given to domestic producers, and asked from them to continue to support even more the local production by providing to Kosovo products more space on their supermarket shelves.