Prishtina, 18 April, 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has visited the Cadastral Agency of Kosovo and participated in the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new building of this same agency.
Initially, Prime Minister Kurti and the Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Liburn Aliu, were received in a meeting by the deputy general director of the Kosovo Cadastral Agency, Avni Ahmeti, accompanied by directors and staff of this agency, where in addition to the meeting they visited the offices and the cadastral data center.
The Cadastral Agency has an important role for the maintenance of the cadastral database, property registers, for cartography and the geographic information system GIS, for the national spatial information infrastructure as well as the administration of the information technology infrastructure. Therefore, Prime Minister Kurti said that the government’s support for this institution will not be lacking, because processes are needed that are developed in a transparent manner, accessible to citizens and to be in step with the times.
He said that transformative changes are being made in many parts of the institutions and state administration, and here too, remembering that for 20 years, approximately 20 million euros have been invested in the Kosovo Cadastral Agency, while now during the two-year government they are also investing about 16 million euros. “So, how much has been invested in 20 years by the previous governments taken together, 80 percent of that amount is being invested only up to half of our mandate”, said the Prime Minister.
Being aware that the cadastre for a country is the mirror in which that country looks at itself, the prime minister said that we should have it as accurate as possible, to know who we are and what we look like.
On this occasion, he said that expropriations have been a constant challenge of infrastructure projects. “They are often misused at the expense of citizens. This is unacceptable and intolerable for us, so good and fair work is our only goal”, said Prime Minister Kurti.
During the visit, which was also the first visit of a prime minister to this important agency, he was informed by the deputy. The General Director, Ahmeti, for the activities and projects that this agency is implementing, where the work for marking the names and numbers of roads, which has already been finalized in 11 municipalities in total, for the improvement of owner data, the leveling network and the new geoportal.
After the visit and meeting there, Prime Minister Kurti, Minister Aliu and employees of the Agency together with the deputy. Director Ahmeti, participated in the laying of the foundation stone of the new facility of the Kosovo Cadastral Agency, with a space of about 4 thousand square meters and a value of 2.1 million euros.
He said that the state is the one that marks, labels, names and numbers. So far, in 11 municipalities of Kosovo, we have completed the issue of building numbers and street names, and within two years we will complete this process in a total of 38 municipalities throughout our Republic.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech during the visit to the Kosovo Cadastral Agency:
Dear Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Mr. Liburn Ali,
Dear employees of the Cadastral Agency of Kosovo,
Dear attendees,
Ladies and gentleman,
Glad we’re finding each other this morning. The principles and objectives of a state agency should always aim at accessible, transparent and fast service for citizens.
The Cadastral Agency has an important role for the maintenance of the cadastral database, property registers, for cartography and the geographic information system GIS, for the national spatial information infrastructure as well as the administration of the information technology infrastructure. The government’s support for this institution will not be lacking, because processes are needed that are developed in a transparent manner, accessible to citizens and keep up with the times.
Transformational changes are being made in many parts of institutions and state administration, and here too. For 20 years, approximately 20 million euros have been invested in the Cadastral Agency of Kosovo, now during our two-year government, about 16 million euros are being invested. So, how much has been invested in 20 years by previous governments, taken together, 80 percent of that amount is being invested only up to half of our mandate.
Through the appropriate legal infrastructure with the approval of the Law on the National Infrastructure of Spatial Information and the Law on Cadastre which is expected to be approved soon in the Assembly of the Republic, our dedication and investment in this agency enables citizens to have fast services. Now they don’t have to wait for days to withdraw a property document in the municipality, but in a very short time they can withdraw the document through online services in e-Kosova, which has already exceeded the number of 130 services.
Digitization has accelerated the work within the institution for the citizens. Through digitalization, the citizen can now follow the course of their course, that is, follow the process, not only its beginning and its end.
It is expected that in the ongoing digitization we will have a new aerial photograph of the territory of the Republic and develop the project of creating 3D of the objects built in the country.
Within two years, we will place the last signs of street addresses and building numbers for the remaining municipalities in the territory of our Republic.
These are just some of the many reforms we are undertaking together. The Cadastral Agency of Kosovo, within the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, plays a key role in the successful completion of numerous infrastructure projects.
Therefore, the task and responsibility increases as important projects are being developed in parallel throughout Kosovo.
We are very aware that the cadastre for a country is the mirror in which that country sees itself. Therefore, we must have it as accurately as possible, to know who we are and what we look like.
Expropriations have been a constant challenge of infrastructure projects. They have often been misused at the expense of citizens. This is unacceptable and intolerable for us, so good and fair work is our only goal.
On this occasion, allow me to congratulate the Ministry, Minister Aliu, that within two years we managed to complete the payments for 75 million euros from the total expropriation debt that was 183 million euros. Meanwhile, another 25 million euros have been budgeted for this year, it is estimated that in three years of the entire inherited debt of 183 million euros we will pay about 55 percent for the three years of our government and when public money is well managed and not stolen, we have more good jobs and less debt.
Taking into account the national importance of the cadastre for the citizens, the creation of working conditions for the staff of the Agency is very necessary, that is why we are here today to together after this meeting lay the foundation stone for the new building with a space of about 4 thousand square meters and with value of 2.1 million euros. During its completion, we will make sure that the reforms for the benefit of the Agency, i.e. the citizens, do not stop not only good conditions for the workers, but also internal reforms and work for the citizens.
So congratulations and enjoy it with good work and success in the future.
Thank you!
The complete speech of Prime Minister Kurti at the laying of the foundation stone of the new facility of the Cadastral Agency of the Republic of Kosovo
So in this place where we are now together here with Minister Aliu, with the Director of the Kosovo Cadastre Agency, with many of the workers of this Agency of our Republic, there will be a new building of the Cadastre Agency in order to have appropriate working conditions for their field of activity.
On this occasion, I want to thank Minister Aliu, the director of the Agency and all the workers for the contribution they have made so far and the good work we will do together in the future. For 20 years in the cadastre of Kosovo, a total of about 20 million euros have been invested, but only during the half term of our government, about 16 million euros are being invested, which means that for half a term as much as 80 percent of all previous governments taken together during the past two decades.
On the other hand, this building, which has a value of around 2.1 million euros, will have 4000 square meters, so that the working conditions for the employees here will be adequate for the many reforms, which we will to undertake them, so that the reconstruction of the cadastre and the digital transformation and communication of various databases in our state, have internal, easy communication and in this way the overview of the state, such as the cadastre, is clear and correct.
So, the state is the one that marks, names, names and numbers. So far, in 11 municipalities of Kosovo, we have completed the issue of building numbers and street names, and within two years we will complete this process in a total of 38 municipalities throughout our Republic.
So, when there are no signs, when there are no designations, names and numbers, you have a nomadic situation and we need a state situation. The state situation is with names and numbers.
The state marks and the cadastre is key for this common purpose.
Therefore, once again, congratulations to everyone, not only who work with the cadastre in terms of the commitment they make, but also to all the citizens of the Republic, as beneficiaries, for this foundation stone, for the new building of our cadastre.
Last modified: April 19, 2023