Prishtina, 16 March 2009 – Minister of Energy and Mines Justina Shiroka – Pula, accompanied by Minister of Education, Science and Technology Enver Hoxhaj and Director of Student’s Center Fatmir Sfishta, inaugurated on Monday the Project titled “Promotion of Solar Energy” at Dormitory V of the Students’ Center in Prishtina.

When elaborating on the project, Minister Pula said that it will provide the students with better conditions and at the same time enable electricity saving, only to add that MEM would like to support the provision of a higher living standard for students.

Pula clarified that such investments from MEM will continue to be applied to other dormitories and students’ centers, because, as she put it, students are the hope of Kosovo’s future. In the meantime, similar projects will also encompass other public institutions.

She stated that benefiting from the warm water in this dormitory will be 700 students, meaning that the government remains committed to improving living conditions for the students.

Otherwise, Minister Pula informed that the budget is being reviewed along with Minister Hoxhaj, to see how to further invest in similar common projects.

The Minister of Education, Science and Technology Mr. Enver Hoxhaj, said that this project provides better conditions for students. According to him, this concept is new in reality both for the students’ center and for Kosovo and represents a system that will provide the students with better services and at the same time represent no threat environmental threats.

He continued by saying that MEST is interested to have the necessary support by MEM regarding other centers, since the Government of Kosovo remains maximally engaged into placing students at the center of our academic life.

The Director of Students’ Center Fatmir Sfishta said that this project supports not only the provision of better living conditions but also budgetary savings. “MEM’s project not only provides for better service, but it also directly positively impacts the budget of Students’ Center, namely comprises budgetary savings for us”, said Sfishta.

He hopes that this project is not the only endeavor of such nature, and that similar projects will be implemented in other dormitories.

The placement of solar panels at the Students’ Center will save 100 megawatt electricity per year, whereas their value amount to 120 thousand euro. The investment is accounted for a period of 15 – 20 years, while the investor has offered a 5 year warranty.