Prishtina, 02.10.2012 – Ministry of Economic Development concludes that the data presented in GAP Institute Report on the Privatization of the Kosovo Electricity Distribution and Supply are inaccurate and untrue.

Government Privatization Committee on the privatization of KEDS assets has responded to all requests for access to official documents, whenever this was possible and allowed according to the applicable legislation in Kosovo and international practices.

The Ministry of Economic Development and the Project Implementation Unit have replied to all GAP requests for access to official documents. At the same time, the Government, Government Privatization Committee, and the Project Implementation Unit have provided the conditions for all citizens, interested in the process, to access basic information and the course of privatization throughout the process, by creating the Data Room, which included all public documents of the process. This Data Room, established under the Project Implementation Unit, has served to inform everyone on the developments and decisions in the process.

According to the records provided by the Unit, the Room was visited by all parties and members of the society, and in particular cases through several visits by members of the civil society, individuals from the private business in the energy sector, KEK employees, international officials working in Kosovo, representatives of local and international media, and in particular by the Trade Union Federation of the KEK Distribution and Supply.

In addition, Minister Beqaj and his cabinet staff have personally met with representatives of this Union, to update them on the course of the project and listen to their requests. Government officials and advisors engaged in the privatization process have also participated in all public and media debates on energy issues, in order to inform the public, and to ensure transparency and accurate information on the privatization process. The Government, on its own initiative, has also organized debates with the civil society and relevant stakeholders. Unfortunately, public attendance in such meetings was very low. GAP has not used the opportunity of debates organized by the institutions, or meetings organized expressly for representatives of the civil society, despite regular invitations to participate and contribute in the debate.

Representatives and experts of all line ministries, representatives of ERO, KOSTT, KEK, and observer members, including USAID, World Bank, ICO, KfW, European Commission, etc., have all participated in the drafting of the tender package and throughout the privatization process in general. Their proposals and suggestions have been reviewed and addressed with the outmost seriousness. Transparency in the process was highly commended by members of the energy sector, including KOSTT, KEK, ERO and process observes, such as USAID, World Bank, ICO, KfW, European Commission, etc, which, as observers members, were part of the entire process and informed with the course of the process and decisions on the KEDS privatization.