Privatized textile factory starts production

The previously privatized factory "Kosovatex" in Prishtina has started the production of textiles and jeans. The company is currently employing over 300 workers.

Products of "Kosovatex" are mainly oriented for export. The company aims to become the center of textile industry in the Balkans.

The company says it will cooperate with international clients, including world-known brands such as Hugo Boss, Diesel, Levi's, Replay, Otto Kern, Mustang, Pierre Cardin, etc.

The managers said to have developed a plant in Prishtina that meets world class standards in the textile industry.

Investors more interested in Kosovo after ICJ rule

Investment Promotion Agency of Kosovo and the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, announced that the interest of foreign investors for Kosovo has increased after the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The ICJ advisory opinion, announced in July 2010, said that the declaration of Kosovo's independence does not violate the international law.

The interest of investors has clearly increased and this energy should be used to create better conditions and opportunities for foreign investments.

The Head of Investment Promotion Agency, Mustafe Hasani, said that Kosovo institutions must take into account the concerns of potential investors.

KCC President Safet Gerxhaliu said that one important condition for economic development are investments in road and railway infrastructure. He urged the institutions to step up efforts in this direction.

Gerxhaliu stressed that there is interest from World Bank and International Monetary Fund to help the implementation of these capital projects.

Tender for the privatization of Telecom Kosovo announced

The Ministry of Economy and Finance of Kosovo has announced the expression of interest for the sale of majority shares of Post and Telecom Kosovo (PTK). This company is currently owned by the Government.

The transaction advisor is a consortium of “TelCo AG” and “Wolf Theiss Rechtsanwälte GmbH”.

Details of the tender can be obtained at the website of the Ministry of Finance, http://www.mef-rks.org.

Government's Privatization Committee formally invited interested parties, in particular telecom operators and financial investors with experience in the telecom sector, to send their written requests for the privatization of PTK.

The deadline for expressions of interest is September 13, 2010.

PTK is a public telecom company with more than one million mobile phone customers.

OPIC representatives visiting Prishtina

Representatives of US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) have met the Vice President of the municipality of Prishtina and discussed the investment opportunities in the city of Prishtina.

OPIC is a U.S. government agency encouraging investments of US companies abroad.

OPIC representatives have expressed their interest to for capital projects in Kosovo, in particular those implemented through public-private partnerships.

Deputy Mayor Avdullah Hoti said that they have experience in the implementation public-private partnerships. Stephanie Price of OPIC said that their mission is to enable American companies to invest in all sectors abroad.

"OPIC assists U.S. private sector to invest overseas, fosters economic development and finds new markets, so we are interested to cooperate with the municipality of Prishtina in the implementation of capital projects through public-private partnerships, " said Price.

“Limak -Lyon" to manage Prishtina Airport from August 12

The contract for the concession of Pristina International Airport (PIA) is expected to be finalized next week, on August 12.

Kosovo Government officials managing the public-private partnerships said that so far everything has gone fine and very soon the consortium “Limak- Lyon" will start to manage PIA.

"Formalization of the contract is expected to happen on August 12”, said Lorik Fejzullahu head of the Private Public Partnerships (PPP). But before signing the contract, according to him, government and consortium must meet certain conditions related to the workers.

Consortium “Limak - Lyon" has won the tender for concession of the Pristina Airport for 20 years, but a percentage of the profit will go to the Kosovo budget. The consortium is committed to invest over 100 million euros in modernization of PIA and its expansion.

Prishtina Airport is the only International airport in Kosovo and processes over 1.2 million passengers per year.

KPA announces tender for the privatization of steel-sheet producer

Kosovo Privatization Agency (KPA) has announced the privatization tender for the steel-sheet producer Llamkos in Vushtrri.

The enterprise will be privatized with the method of the "Regular Spin-off", with investors being exempt from any obligations after the privatization.
For additional details please check the KPS Website at www.pak-ks.org

The Third Application Phase

The Business Park in Drenas still has a number of unoccupied parcels most of those are reserved for companies that provides services such as: telephony, internet, TV cable, central heating, hosting, fuel for vehicles, industrial gas, technology services, Excellency Services, etc., hence the Ministry of Trade and Industry through the Small and Medium Enterprises Support Agency is announcing the following:

Announcement
THE THIRD APPLICATION PHASE
Establishment of Businesses at the “Business Park in Drenas”
Be part of the development - Apply now!...

The Package for applying in to the BPD contains the following documents:
1. Public announcement
2. Conditions and Criteria’s for company establishment
3. Dynamic and way of application and assessment
4. The Application Form
5. Interactive Map of the Business Park of Drenas

Deadline for the application remains until the free parcels to be taken

IPAK signs contracts with business associations and other non for profit organizations to promote investments and exports

Investment Promotion Agency of Kosovo has signed 10 contracts with business associations and other nongovernmental organizations to organize B2B (business to business) meetings and fairs in Kosovo and abroad. In total 23 programs will be supported.

The project has the financial backing of the World Bank. It is based on the Kosovo Sustainable Employment Strategy 2010 – 2012, and is in accordance with the action plan 2010 “Developing and implementation of investment and export promotion measures”.

B2B meetings and fairs will be held from May to December 2010, in the following countries: the US, Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, and Montenegro.

Slovenian “Petrol” invests €5 million in Kosovo

Slovenian company "Petrol” is building a 7000-ton oil storage facility near Prishtina, in cooperation with the local “Petrol Oti”.

The €5 million investment in the facility increases the total amount of investments of the company in Kosovo to €30 million.

The chief of Slovenian diplomacy, Samuel Zbogar who was also attending a ceremony to mark the construction begin, said that over 300 Slovenian companies are currently successfully doing business in Kosovo.

Slovenian companies make up the highest amount of foreign investments in Kosovo.

Wood industry fair opened in Prishtina

With the support of USAID and the Investment Promotion Agency of Kosovo (IPAK), the Association of Wood Processors of Kosovo (AWPK) has opened the sixth edition of furniture and wood industry fair "Nature 2010".

Companies from the regional and EU countries have participated in the fair, offering products such as doors, windows, kitchen elements and furniture as well as machinery for wood processors.

The Kosovar Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Blerand Stavileci said that forests cover nearly 50% of the territory of Kosovo, which is one of the highest percentages in Europe.

The Association of Wood Processors of Kosovo (AWPK) was founded in 2004, as an organization aiming to support the Kosovar wood processors and further develop the industry.

Kosovo promotes investments in France

The representatives of Kosovo Institution, Minister of Trade and Industry, Lutfi Zharku, Ambassador of Republic of Kosovo in France, Muhamet Kullashi, during the conference about investment opportunities in Kosovo which was held in France, invites the French companies to use the opportunities and invest in Kosovo.
The conference was organized by the Investment Promotion Agency of Kosovo (IPAK) with Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in France in cooperation of MEDEF International.
Low taxes and a simple tax system, liberal trade regime, modern EU-compatible legislation, young and well-educated work force, etc, were some of the advantages mentioned by Kosovar representatives during the conference.
The representatives of French companies including Amadeus Group S.a, BNP Paribas Fortis, Egis Bceom International, Alstom Transport, DTP Terrassement, etc, showed interest about the investment climate, business opportunities in Kosovo. Companies from France promise that they will visit Kosovo second half of this year and they will come with concrete plans in which sectors they are interested to invest in Kosovo.
Officials from Kosovo have also held many one-to-one meetings with representatives of French companies, discussing concrete investment opportunities and projects.

Kosovo improves business registration procedures

In order to facilitate and quicken the business registration procedures, Kosovo will open the so called “one-stop-shops” for business registration in eight of its municipalities. For this purpose, Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Business Registration Agency signed a memorandum of understanding with mayors of municipalities. The second phase of the project will include 14 additional municipalities.

Requirements for businesses registration in Kosovo are growing continuously. This project also aims to reduce costs for business registration and provide advice to businesses. Business Registration Agency director, Mehdi Pllashniku, said that this project will enable the citizens to register their businesses in their own municipality.

Registration of businesses in Kosovo is the fastest in the region. However, MTI intends to take further steps and bring such services closer to citizens, said Minister of Trade and Industry, Lutfi Zharku. During the first phase, the project will be implemented in the municipalities of Podujeva, Mitrovica, Istog, Gjilan, Gjakova, Strpce, Dragash and Suhareka.

Sejdiu in the World Islamic Economic Forum

During an official visit to Malaysia, President of the Republic of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu has invited business representatives from different countries of the world to invest in Kosovo. Sejdiu made this invitation during a meeting with Tun Musa Hitam, chairman of the World Islamic Economic Forum. Sejdiu and Hitam talked about the possibilities of cooperation between Kosovo and member countries of this Islamic Forum.

Sejdiu has been invited to the World Islamic Economic Forum in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, attended by leaders and other representatives of 62 countries. "Kosovo, as well as our entire region presents an attractive area for your investment in various fields of economy," said Sejdiu.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Islamic World Economic Forum (WIEF), Tun Musa Hitam said that it is necessary to quickly develop mutual contacts between businesses and look into specific areas in which Malaysians investors and others countries can invest in Kosovo. While in Malaysia, Sejdiu met with Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Tun Razak and other world leaders.

Limak-Airport de Lyon gets the concession for PIA

Turkish-French consortium "Limak-Airport de Lyon" was announced on Friday the winner of the bid for 20-year concession of Pristina International Airport. The concessionaire is committed to invest €100 million at the airport, while the Kosovo budget will benefit 23 – 55% of the revenues.

Government of Kosovo says that through private investments in Prishtina International Airport it aims to provide modern infrastructure, an improvement of commodities and services in global level as well as to benefit from the operation efficiency and transparency. The announcement of the winner was made during a public ceremony and broadcasted live.

Limak/Aerport de Lyon has been awarded the contract because the Government has been offered an average of 39.42% of gross revenues, in exchange for concession rights. IC Frapport Havamanli ICTAS, the second-placed bidder has offered an average of 30.37% of gross revenue. Limak Holding and Airport de Lyon will be asked to modernize and expand the International Airport of Prishtina, invest over € 100 million in new infrastructure, including the construction of new terminal building, to offer enhanced services and increase levels of quality. Republic of Kosovo will retain 100% ownership of airport assets.