Citizens Complain About Rising Fuel Prices: “The Prices Are Unaffordable

Ever-rising fuel prices are placing an additional burden on the budgets of Kosovo’s citizens, who are already facing a high cost of living.

On Friday, a liter of diesel cost 1.79 euros, gasoline had reached 1.52 euros per liter, while gas was being sold for 0.62 euros. Citizens say these price levels are unaffordable.

According to them, the consequences are not limited to household spending on fuel. They believe that rising transport costs could lead to higher prices for other products and services.

Emigrant Brahim Vrellaku said that prices in Kosovo are extremely high compared with the wages citizens earn, while he also linked the situation to the institutional crisis.

He said that, while traveling from Italy to Kosovo, he found diesel in Croatia to be at least 50 percent cheaper than in Kosovo, whereas in Albania the price had been higher. Vrellaku described the current price in Kosovo as catastrophic when compared with local wages. According to him, as long as the country has no functioning state, Assembly or Government, not only fuel sellers but also customs officials do not know how much goods enter the country, what leaves it or what is happening. He said the situation in Kosovo is catastrophic and that these prices are completely unaffordable.

Rrustem Avdiu also called the prices incomprehensible, unreasonable and extremely burdensome for citizens.

Avdiu declared that the situation is catastrophic and blamed the Government for it. He said that the people vote for this Government, but, in his view, it seeks only to destroy Kosovo and brings no progress. The citizen added that neither the price of fuel nor the prices of everyday products are reasonable, as they are rising every day. He said he did not understand how the people were managing to survive, calling this a very serious problem.

Muharrem Faiku, meanwhile, stressed that rising diesel prices are also directly contributing to higher prices for other products.

He said that fuel is extremely expensive and unaffordable. According to Faiku, whenever the price of diesel rises, other products subsequently become more expensive because of transport costs and related expenses. He said that he had not used his car very much even before and traveled mainly by bicycle, while current prices have further limited his ability to use the vehicle.