DHTIK and Kosovo Customs discuss business barriers and export promotion

A meeting organized by the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DHTIK) brought together business representatives and Kosovo Customs to examine the difficulties faced by enterprises and to strengthen cooperation between institutions, reports KosovaPress.

Present at the discussion, the General Director of Customs, Agron Llugaliu, listened to the concerns of companies and pledged that they would be addressed according to the legislation in force and within a short time.

Regarding trade relations with Albania, he announced that a joint customs office is in the process of being established, which would simplify and speed up exports between the two countries.

He emphasized that this initiative would contribute to faster resolution of obstacles and to increasing the volume of bilateral trade exchanges.

Llugaliu explained that the plan is for both sides to work together to process all exports at a single point, which would allow immediate addressing of any problem. He assessed that this would have a noticeable impact both on shipments from Kosovo to Albania and on those from Albania to Kosovo. According to him, some steps have already been taken and the aim is to make them concrete, but the realization of other projects requires securing the necessary funding and support.

The chairman of DHTIK, Skënder Krasniqi, opened the session by referring to cooperation with Albania, the facilitating measures taken, and the challenges that businesses face in exports to other countries.

He also stressed the necessity of swiftly forming institutions so that issues hindering local producers can be addressed.

Krasniqi recalled that one of the Chamber’s constant demands, repeated over the last ten years, concerns the payment of VAT at the time of collection and not of invoicing, a practice that, according to him, constitutes a major obstacle for the production sector. He added that there are a number of other problems that require urgent intervention to be resolved.

During the meeting, customs procedures, trade facilitation, and the daily challenges faced by entrepreneurs were also discussed.

Businesses also expressed their concern about the high excise duty applied to some imported raw materials. Director Llugaliu confirmed that these cases will also be examined carefully.