Newsletter May 2003, No 06
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AA s S s I e m b l y S u p p o r t I n i t i a t i v e Newsletter May 2003, No 06 • Interview with chairpersons of the Committees on Budget, Education, and Labour and Social Welfare • Prime Minister addresses the Assembly • Increased support activities to the Assembly 2 ASI newsletter From the editor In this issue you will read interviews with the chairpersons of three Assembly Assembly Committ ees and its chairpersons Committ ees. It was striking to notice that the common message from each was that there is need for change and improvement. Changes in educational, social, budget and economic matt ers. Changes are needed, and working on improvements today Committ ee on Budget Haki Shatri will shape Kosovo’s future. Committ ee on the Rights It is encouraging to see the energy by which various organisations and foundations and Interests of Communities Dragiša Krstovic are forming a team and working together with the Assembly to bring about this Committ ee for Finance and Economy Slobodan Bjelic change and improvement, and contributing to a bett er life for the people in Kosovo. This Newslett er includes articles on substantial activities and advice given to the Committ ee for Trade and Industry Bajrush Xhemaili Assembly Members, the Committ ees as well as the staff . Committ ee for Education, When I att ended several Committ ee meetings during the last weeks, I was encouraged Science and Technology Hajredin Kuqi to notice the qualifi ed discussions taking place on the draft laws as they had been tabled by the Government. During the past two months political debates have Committ ee for Culture, intensifi ed. One of the key roles of any parliament, next to its legislative work, is to youth and Sports Edi Shukriu debate about diff erences in opinions in a democratic manner. Committ ee for Health Nafi ye Gas OSCE Democratization Department and all partner organisations in the Assembly Support Initiative (ASI) are committ ed to contribute to strengthen the Assembly. Committee for Environment This Newslett er gives news on that. Your feedback is most welcome. and Spatial Planning Naim Maloku Franklin De Vrieze, Committ ee for Labour Assembly Support Initiative Co-ordinator and Social Welfare Stojanka Petkovic Committ ee for Transport and Communications Edita Tahiri Committ ee for Public Services Nekibe Kelmendi Committ ee for Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development Tomë Hajdaraj Committee on International Co-operation Sabri Hamiti Committ ee on Emergency Preparedness Agim Krasniqi Committ ee on Judicial, Legislative ASI and Constitutional Framework Matt ers Arsim Bajrami Newsletter Committ ee on Public Petitions and Claims Nergjivane Dauti Belgrade Street 32, 38000 Pristina Tel. (+381-38) 500 162 Fax: (+381-38) 500 188 Committ ee on Missing Persons Flora Brovina contact: [email protected] Committ ee on Gender Equality Melihate Tërmkolli The views expressed by the contributors to this Newslett er are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Assembly, OSCE Mission in Kosovo or the ASI partner organisations. Committ ee on Media Bogoljub Miloševic ASI newsletter 33 “WE NEED TO CHANGE FISCAL POLICY IN KOSOVO” Earlier this year an intensive roundtable discussion was held on economic matt ers with representatives from Assembly Committ ees, Ministers, UNMIK and other economic experts (see article elsewhere in this Newslett er). Mr. Haki Shatri, the chair- person of the Budget Committ ee, elaborated in an interview to ASI the impact of the current economic situation on the work of his Committ ee. Interview by David Kahrmann What are the main investments. When an some areas. activities of the budget Assembly committ ee went Is there some plan to committee? to get this information tax the income of those from KEK, it was not The budget committ ee is working abroad? one of the two main com- provided with any sort First of all we have mitt ees of the Assembly. of report or documents problems taxing Kosovo Before reviewing any law to look into. Under these residents who work for in the Assembly the budget conditions, giving the international organisations committ ee is consulted. surplus to KEK would be within Kosovo. As for Our committ ee examines irresponsible. people working in the each law and amendment Most of the budget comes Diaspora, they are subject that is proposed in the from VAT, excise tax and to laws and taxes where Assembly. Every amend- customs. What are other they are working. It would ment we want to make, we ways in which the govern- be much bett er if they present to the Assembly ment will seek to raise would invest the means and it is then discussed. revenues? that they have sett ing up Does the committ ee work respect, the latest work- with the surplus from last I think we need to change small and middlesized primarily with the inter- shop organised by the year’s budget? fi scal policy a bit, because businesses invoved in the current fi scal policy national community, or Friedrich Nauman Stiftung We are now discussing the production. We made an independently? and OSCE has been very surplus. On the basis of does not provide positive analysis and the Kosovo We work with consultants helpful in bringing all these the data I have, unused conditions for the private Diaspora could have appro- who work for the Asse- actors around the table. surplus from 2001 and sector to develop. The ximately 5 to 6 billion policy adopted in Kosovo dollars in capital. Kosovo’s mbly, the USAID con- What are the priorities for 2002 is about 290 million is the easiest method for institutions should take sultants, with the consul- the budget committ ee in Euro. For Kosovo, with collecting taxes, but measures for making the tants from the Prime 2003? its few fi nancial resources, Minister’s offi ce and with such poor management doesn’t take into circumstances more att rac- We have a lot of intensive people in the offi ces of of budget is unacceptable. consideration side eff ects, tive for such investments. tasks related to the revie- all ministers. We cooperate UNMiK’s Pillar Four has especially in regards to For example, when an wing and approving of with various NGOs, busi- suggested that the surplus the private industry. We investor wants to import laws in the Assembly. The ness associations and from last year’s budget also should think about technology for production, process of transfer of com- economic chambers of should be made available expanding the base of tax he could pay the customs petencies will also open a Kosovo. We also work to KEK. At the same time, collection. We are trying to and other taxes on the whole range of activities with individuals who are over the past three years do this with our proposed technology later, once he for the budget committ ee. specialists in particular KEK has never accounted law on property tax. Later, is actually producing and areas and with which we What has been the deci- for the funds invested there we should lower the maxi- employing people. Also, need to consult. In this sion about what to do and the return on these m u m rate for taxation in importers of raw materials 4 ASI newsletter should be looked upon and taxed in a diff erent way than those importing LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE fi nished products. How much does smuggling hurt the budget? ASSEMBLY During the last two months the Assembly faced many challenges. Following is the summary We have no way to accurately determine how of a period marked by intensive political debates. much we suff er from Franklin De Vrieze smuggling. But, on the forms the basis for the Assembly plenary session basis of what can be seen Two resolutions and Serb PDK/AAK and LDK clash current government. On on March 27th saw att en- as an ordinary citizen in during March 2003 walkout March 20th Assembly dance by all parliamentary Kosovo, it isn’t hard to The Assembly proceedings President Nexhat Daci pro- groups, following expres- come to the conclusion The Assembly plenary during March 2003 were posed that the scheduled sed support for the Prime that smuggling is a serious session of 27 February marked by a growing rift debate with the Prime Minister and the coalition- problem. 2003 saw a walkout of between PDK/AAK and Minister on his fi rst annual agreement by represen- Will the budget committ ee Coalition Return (KP) after LDK. Mr. Bujar Dugolli, head of the AAK parlia- speech be postponed “in the tatives of the international be involved in any future the majority of the mentary group, and sup- interest of the preservation community in Pristina. talks with Belgrade? Assembly members decided ported by the PDK Assem- of the stability and unity With the contested reso- to add two extraordinary We have not been informed bly group proposed a of Kosovo’s institutions.” lution not mentioned, Mr. that we should be prepared items to the agenda of resolution on “the recog- While a growing split Dugolli indicated that for such talks, never- the session. These “urgent nition of the eff orts of the between the Kosovo Alba- further co-ordination with theless, there are a number issues” were a declaration Kosovo Liberation Army nian parties became most other parliamentary gro- of issues we should discuss on the arrest of Fatmir (KLA) to liberate Kosovo.” apparent in the Assembly, ups, in particular LDK, with them, for example Limaj, head of PDK During several weeks the the Prime Minister expres- was needed in order to taxation and customs.