Democratic Party of Kosovo MP Arian Tahiri criticized the government for its failure to respond and exercise control over safety in public institutions and enterprises. At a press conference, he said that the deaths of two KEK workers within three days, following injuries sustained at work, demonstrated the need for immediate intervention by the responsible institutions.

According to Tahiri, behind these events are families left without their loved ones. He mentioned the case of Arben Ahmeti, who died on August 20 while transporting 6 kV cables. Four days earlier, on August 16, Haxhi Gojnovci, a mining technician, died near an excavator. On July 15, Milazim Binaku also died at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo as a result of injuries sustained on July 8 at the Mining Equipment Factory in Palaj. Meanwhile, on February 27, Migjen Sadiku died on the premises of the “Kosova B” Thermal Power Plant.

Tahiri said the victims had gone to work to provide income for their families, but never returned home. He stressed that behind each of these names are mothers waiting, wives left alone and children trying to understand why their fathers did not return.

The PDK MP recalled that the government had centralized the inspection system through the creation of the Office of the Inspector General within the Office of the Prime Minister. However, he said that when tragic cases occur, the institutions avoid responsibility.

“The government cannot run and, at the same time, oversee public enterprises, and then claim that it bears no responsibility. When increased production and progress are being discussed, officials come forward to express their pride, while in the face of deaths they hide behind the facilities and premises of power. Since these cases occurred at a public enterprise under the direct control of the state, they constitute evidence of institutional failure. If the state is unable to protect its own workers, then how can it claim to protect the lives and rights of workers in the private sector?” Tahiri declared.

He emphasized that workplace safety cannot rely solely on condolences. According to him, it requires established standards, regular and independent inspections, preventive measures, enforcement of the law and institutional accountability before another life is lost.

Since, according to him, these cases cannot be discussed in the Assembly of Kosovo and parliamentary committees, Tahiri called on the Government of Kosovo, the relevant ministry, the Labor Inspectorate and the Kosovo Energy Corporation to provide financial support to the victims’ families. He also called for immediate, comprehensive and independent inspections; the identification and elimination of workplace risks; stronger measures for worker safety and protection; and guarantees that such incidents will not happen again.

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The Kosovo Dairy Industry Association has raised serious concerns about the way the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Veterinary Agency presented the results of inspections conducted in the dairy sector.

The association has called on the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) to make the complete inspection documentation public. It warned that if this is not done by August 12, 2026, dairies will be forced to halt milk collection, KosovaPress reports.

In its response, the association emphasized that it fully supports institutional oversight, the safeguarding of food safety, and measures against any operator found to have acted in violation of the law. However, it believes that neither individual companies nor an entire sector should be publicly condemned without the original analyses, relevant documents, and verifiable evidence being made available.

The association recalled that it was announced during the conference that 495 samples had been collected, of which 471 had been analyzed, with 93 non-compliances identified. According to the association, the public was not provided with the complete laboratory reports, original product labels, lot numbers, sampling dates, official records, or the laboratory methods used. Its response stated that a table or public presentation cannot replace an original laboratory report, because without the complete documentation it is impossible to determine which specific product was analyzed and what evidence supports the allegation.

According to the association, a clear distinction must be made between products that are unsafe for consumption, labeling non-compliance, issues related to authorization, and allegations concerning the use of an undeclared ingredient.

The response explained that these constitute separate technical and legal categories and therefore cannot all be presented as threats to public health. For this reason, the Ministry and the FVA have been asked to immediately publish the complete laboratory report for each disputed sample; the name of the product, manufacturer or importer, and lot number; a photograph and copy of the original label; the date, location, and official sampling record; the laboratory method and accreditation status; and the complete list of the 93 non-compliances. The association also requested clarification regarding the difference between the 495 samples collected and the 471 samples analyzed, as well as their classification into domestic products, imported products, and vegetable fat preparations.

The association stated that it does not seek to defend any violation and that anyone who has deceived consumers must be held accountable under the law. However, it opposes public condemnation without evidence and the creation of an impression that all domestic production is suspect.

According to the response, the consequences of such a situation do not fall solely on one company but also affect farmers, workers, domestic suppliers, and companies that have invested millions of euros. The association also believes that undermining trust in domestic production creates even more room for imported products.

In conclusion, the dairies stated that if the full analysis results and supporting documentation are not published by August 12, 2026, they will be forced to halt milk collection.

Vita Factory also responded to statements made by acting Agriculture Minister Armend Muja regarding dairy product samples.

In its response, Vita Factory said that the issues presented today by acting Minister Armend Muja during the press conference could easily be found in the records of Kosovo Customs, the Kosovo Tax Administration, and the Kosovo Food and Veterinary Agency. According to the factory, the minister had merely summarized those data without providing any new information and had not published the sample analysis results, despite repeated promises and expectations that they would be made public today.

Today, during a press conference, acting Agriculture Minister Armend Muja presented the results of inspections carried out by the Food and Veterinary Agency at several dairies across the country over the past three months.

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