Avni Arifi, secretary-general of the Alliance, has warned that Kosovo could face a harsh winter, with the risk of an energy and financial crisis. Speaking on KosovaPress’s “Interview of the Week” programme, he criticized the way the sector has been managed and the delays in the overhaul of block B1 at the Kosovo B Power Plant.
According to Arifi, the block was supposed to return to operation on November 1, but preparations for the overhaul had not been completed on time. He said the company contracted to carry out the work faced delays because metal waste had not been removed and the area had not been cleared of asbestos.
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Arifi estimated that the delays could postpone the completion of the work by another three to four months. Meanwhile, he said, Kosovo is short of approximately 370 megawatts of generating capacity.
He warned of serious consequences if block B1 is not brought back into operation and said that, to his knowledge, this could not happen soon. Arifi described the situation as a risk of an energy and financial collapse, insisting that the delays in preparing the facility and removing the asbestos must be investigated and that those responsible must be held accountable.
Another concern he raised was the amount spent on purchasing electricity. Arifi said that, by November 5, the value of imports had reached 205 million euros.
If the current pace of imports continues and prices on international exchanges keep rising, the cost could reach 400 million euros by December 31, he warned. Arifi criticized the institutions for a lack of preparation ahead of winter and claimed that they had failed to take the necessary action.
Arifi also raised the possibility of an increase in energy tariffs, linking it to this year’s high imports. According to him, tariffs were not increased this year because of the June 7 elections, while 40 million euros in debt have been carried over into next year and will be covered through an increase. He said a tariff hike appeared inevitable.
Regarding the situation, Arifi said there should be political accountability and that Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli should have been dismissed earlier. During the week, Rizvanolli had warned that Kosovo would face a difficult winter.
Arifi accused the minister of misleading the public when she stated that imported electricity was not being used for consumption in Kosovo but was passing through in transit. He said that electricity sent to Montenegro is included in the import calculations and that Customs data show a value of 205 million euros. According to him, there had also been no accountability for what happened at blocks B1 and B2.
Arifi also spoke about the Law on Specialized Chambers. He said the Alliance supports amending the law, a process that has been announced could take place over the next two weeks, provided that the changes respect the independence of the justice system.
According to him, the party supports proposals aimed at helping this process, while part of the decision-making has been handed over to the parliamentary group, which maintains daily contact with the PDK parliamentary group and the team dealing with the issue. Arifi said the law should be adopted in its current form and then amended so that the amendments do not undermine the independence of the judiciary and comply with the requests of the defense teams. He added that neither Kosovo nor the Alliance intends to interfere with the independence of justice in Kosovo or in The Hague.
