Sazan Ibrahimi, executive director of the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, described the start of legal proceedings over the damages that collective agreements have caused municipalities as a positive development. He expressed hope that the courts would issue decisions in their favor.
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According to Ibrahimi, the issue is being reviewed for the first time after several years of waiting. The association has repeatedly stated that municipalities have been unjustly deprived of financial resources, since the collective agreements were concluded by the central level.
Ibrahimi: Municipalities have been unjustly deprived of financial resources
“After several years of waiting, today saw the start of the first proceedings to examine the damages that collective agreements have caused municipalities. As the Association of Municipalities, we have repeatedly said that these financial resources were taken unjustly because the collective agreements were signed by the central level. We are very pleased that the proceedings have begun and believe that our courts will issue fair decisions. We hope the decisions will be in favor of the municipalities,” he declared.
Ibrahimi said that in recent years, hundreds of millions of euros had been taken from municipal budgets. As a result, he said, these funds could not be used for projects that would directly improve citizens’ lives.
Association head hopes for a fair decision from the courts
“In recent years, municipalities have been unjustly deprived of hundreds of millions of euros from their budgets. This money could not be used for many capital investment projects, goods and services, subsidies and other categories that would directly contribute to improving citizens’ lives. We hope that our courts will issue a fair decision which, according to our expectations, will be in favor of the municipalities,” he said.
The head of the association also criticized the central level, accusing it of failing to pay due attention to the issue of collective agreements. He said the absence of its representatives from the first hearing demonstrated a lack of commitment to the municipalities.
“Over the years, we have said that the central level is not addressing this issue seriously. The municipalities are suffering the damage, while the central level, in this relationship, is in a very comfortable position. The taking of hundreds of millions of euros from municipalities affects the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo. We believe that the central level once again failed to show seriousness toward the municipalities, as it did not attend the first hearing on the problem of collective agreements,” Ibrahimi said.
