Prishtina, 5 April 2024
The seventh joint meeting between the Government of the Republic of Kosovo and the Local Government was held today, with the aim of further expanding inter-institutional coordination in the service of the citizens of the Republic. The main topic of this meeting was the Census that commenced today, as well as the coordination between municipalities and the Institute of Crimes Committed during the War in Kosovo.
In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, stated that data on population size, distribution and composition, living conditions and education level will help us guide better policies and services for the citizens. Emphasizing the need for cooperation between the Kosovo Agency of Statistics and the municipalities of the Republic, he called for a joint commitment and engagement in an institutionally significant undertaking for our country.
“Our joint commitment is essential to address the needs of citizens without distinction and is the basis for decisions that will impact the future of Kosovo”, said the Prime Minister.
For the first time in this Census, a questionnaire on the damages in our people’s households from the 1998/1999 war has been included. Citizens will be able to declare economic damages, amounts of property destroyed, as well as damages to people, family members killed, missing, injured or imprisoned. Specifically, this period is defined from 28 February 1998 to 12 June 1999.
The Prime Minister stated that it is essential for us to join forces for the common goal of institutionalizing, protecting, and preserving collective memory, which will serve not only us but also future generations.
“Therefore, in the spirit of cooperation, I call upon you to engage together to contribute to these two quite crucial processes for our Republic, our history and our future”, concluded the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi, stated that the population, households and housing census process is undoubtedly vital for the functioning of societies, emphasizing that municipal engagement will directly affect the success of this process in each part of the Republic.
Atdhe Hetemi, Executive Director of the Institute of Crimes Committed during the War in Kosovo, stated that he remains hopeful that concrete steps will be taken from this meeting towards the collection of all existing materials from the Kosovo municipalities into the Institute’s archives, which prove these crimes.
Meanwhile, Avni Kastrati, Executive Director of the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, provided details on how the Census process will be conducted and the challenges that arise, urging municipalities to support field registrars logistically in the coming days.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Honorable Minister of Local Government Administration, Mr. Elbert Krasniqi,
Dear Executive Director of the Institute of Crimes Committed during the War in Kosovo, Atdhe Hetemi,
Dear Executive Director of the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, Avni Kastrati,
Honourable Mayors and Deputy Mayors of Kosovo municipalities,
Dear participants,
Welcome to our seventh joint meeting, aimed at further expanding inter-institutional coordination between the Government and local authorities, in service of the citizens of the Republic.
We are pleased to note that this year’s municipal budget amounts to €742 million, which is €195 million more than in 2021. The General Grant for Municipalities for 2024 is nearly €285 million, making it the largest grant ever.
Days ago, we signed agreements worth over €8 million with the Mayors of 11 beneficiary municipalities of the Performance Grant, for projects related to riverbed landscaping and cleaning, construction of sports fields and improvement of public lighting.
Therefore, along with the increase in the municipal budget and support for municipal development, opportunities for improving the welfare of citizens are also increasing.
In order to plan and implement evidence-based policies and for economic and social development, it is essential to have reliable and detailed data.
Population, Household and Housing Census in the Republic Kosovo has started today. The data on population size, distribution and composition, living conditions and education level will help us guide better policies and services for citizens, for us as the Government, for you as municipalities, and for every institution of our Republic.
We are supporting the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, which is also the holder of the registration project, aiming for the registration to be qualitative, professional and inclusive. But for the success of this process to be complete, crucial for the socio-economic development of our country, close cooperation between the Kosovo Agency of Statistics and the municipalities of the Republic is needed.
Therefore, once again, I call for joint commitment and engagement in an institutionally significant undertaking for our country. Our joint commitment is essential to address the needs of citizens without distinction and is the basis for decisions that will impact the future of Kosovo.
The quality of data from the questionnaires is crucial for the quality of governance, both central and local, for fairer planning and implementation, and for even greater success and achievements.
For the first time in this Census, a questionnaire on the damages in our people’s households from the 1998/1999 war has been included. Citizens will be able to declare economic damages, amounts of property destroyed, as well as damages to people, family members killed, missing, injured or imprisoned. Specifically, this period is defined : from 28 February 1998 to 12 June 1999.
This connects us with the second item on today’s agenda, the Institute of Crimes Committed during the War in Kosovo, which we have operationalized to accurately document all crimes throughout Kosovo. It is crucial that we join forces because we share the same goal. For institutionalizing, protecting, and preserving collective memory, which will serve not only us but also future generations.
Therefore, in the spirit of cooperation, I call upon you to engage together to contribute to these two quite crucial processes for our Republic, our history and our future.
Thank you, and now I would like to pass the floor to the Minister of Local Government Administration, Mr. Elbert Krasniqi.
Last modified: April 19, 2024