UNMIK/PR/1444
PRISTINA – Today, SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen and Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi have established the Joint UNMIK-PISG Task Force on Electricity Supply, Billing and Revenue Collection.
The Joint Task Force will be responsible for a coordinated implementation of the support to revenue collection efforts of the Electricity Company KEK and this will include support by Police and Justice. DSRSG Joachim Ruecker, head of Pillar IV, was present at the ceremony, as well as the Minister for Energy and Mining Ethem Çeku, who will chair the Joint Task Force.
Background to the creation of the Joint Task Force is the large number of people eligible for disconnection. Practice in Kosovo has also shown that the majority of disconnected customers quickly reconnect themselves illegally to the network.
“At present, in spite of KEK’s systematic targeting of debtors and unauthorised electricity users, revenue collection for electricity in Kosovo is significantly below the necessary level”, said SRSG Jessen-Petersen. “This situation has seriously negative consequences for the financial viability of KEK and, by implication, for the economic growth and development of Kosovo as a whole.”
Prime Minister Kosumi stressed that this Task Force will also convey the message to the citizens that they should pay their KEK bills. “Energy is a good and it should be paid for, just as any other good.”
DSRSG Joachim Ruecker said: “The estimated number of offenders in Kosovo who are actively stealing or not paying for billed energy is presently approximately 360 000 every month. The Joint Task Force shows our determination to put this to halt. There is no tolerance for electricity theft any more.”
The Chairman of the Task Force, Energy Minister Ethem Ceku said: “This Task Force will assist in stabilising the energy supply of industries, which for us is a big priority, especially the industrial complexes that resume work, such as Ferronikeli and other industrial complexes in the private sector.”