Prishtina, 16 November, 2023
Thank you, dear Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic,
Dear Members of the Assembly of Kosovo,
Dear Government Cabinet,
The budget of the Republic of Kosovo for 2024 will be 3 billion and 314 million euros.
It will be the defense and security budget, for which we have allocated around 370 million euros or 22% more than currently. 153 million euros for the Ministry of Defense and 216 million euros for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the most ever. To our army, to which we have increased the budget by more than two times since we came to government and the number of soldiers by more than 2/3, we will add 600 more soldiers in 2024. While the Police ours, which has 850 new police officers during our government, next year will have 500 more recruits, and 21.7 million euros for capital investments or 9 million euros more than this year.
The 2024 budget will also be a priority in our government program regarding the needs of citizens for a strong economy, with more jobs; for comprehensive health with better services; developed higher quality education; the rule of law with reformed justice.
During the almost 32 months of our mandate, 60,000 jobs were added to the economy, where half of the employed are young men and women under the age of 25. Only through the employment platform, SuperPuna, for 8 months since its operation, more than 7 thousand 700 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 have been employed – which is approximately a little less than a thousand employed per month. Therefore, in order to continue encouraging employment in the private sector, in next year’s budget we have allocated 29 million euros for employment measures.
Meanwhile, as far as the public sector is concerned, as we said in February of this year, the salary coefficient in the public sector for 2024 will be 110 euros.
We will continue to invest in renovating hospitals, improving services and purchasing state-of-the-art equipment, so that our loved ones, in their most difficult moments, can receive proper care. For 2024, CUHSK budget has been increased by 25%, while for health as a sector as a whole we have allocated over 340 million euros, including the grant for municipalities.
For the construction of nurseries, the implementation of reforms, and the support of young women and men with scholarships, together with the grant allocated to the municipalities, we will support the education sector with 370 million euros or about 20% more than in 2023.
We have allocated 31% more budget to the Ministry of Justice so that the reforms started in justice are implemented to the end, because our commitment for this governing mandate and for this legislature of the Republic was work and justice.
We have earmarked 95 million euros for our support for expectant mothers and children under 16 years of age, from which more than 40,000 new mothers and 373,000 children have benefited so far.
For the next year, we also allocated 14 million euros for social housing, 11 million euros for the purchase of embassies of the Republic of Kosovo around the world and 65 million euros for agriculture.
There will be new capital investments in road and rail infrastructure, in new economic zones, in dams and water supply networks, and in new energy capacities. And for this we have foreseen a budget of 860 million euros.
For the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports alone, we have allocated 58 million euros for capital investments in sports and infrastructure for the coming year. Because the celebration and joy of the successful candidacy for the 2030 Mediterranean Games must be accompanied by immediate investments and early preparations for a successful organization. The same trend will continue for the following years until the fulfillment of the investment plans until 2030, which are expected to reach the value of 250 million euros.
The budget of municipalities in 2021 was 547 million euros. This year it is 654 million euros. In 2024, it will be almost 200 million more than in the first year of our government, or 742 million euros. Of which 635 million euros are grants to municipalities from the Government, while the rest are the municipalities’ own revenues. So this Government budget is also the budget of the municipalities.
In addition, next year’s budget will again be a budget for the Albanians of the Presheva Valley, Medvegja and Bujanoci. We are adding another million to it, compared to the current year, so from two to three million euros for 2024. This support is the highest ever, and is more than all previous governments combined.
Dear members of the Assembly of the Republic,
With the draft budget for 2024, we strengthen the defense of the Republic, increase the security of citizens and enable the development of the country and the well-being of the people. So I invite each and every one of you to support him with your vote.
Thank you!
Last modified: November 16, 2023