The Cost of Independence
Has Kosovo's first year of independence truly been "totally successful," as Prime Minister Hasim Thaci asserts?
Nearly half of all Kosovars live in poverty, and there are only enough jobs for one out every two people.
Kosovo's economy is heavily dependent on remittances from abroad and foreign aid, two income sources expected to decline given the global financial crisis. And the foreign investment promised by the government has yet to materialize.
There remains untapped potential in the mining industry. Geologists recently discovered vast amounts of high-quality lignite coal (up to 15 billion tons) and considerable nickel, lead, zinc and bauxite deposits, and traces of gold.
But you have to wonder who would want to invest in any industry in a country ranked in the top fifth of the world’s most corrupt countries by Transparency International. Then there's the the threat of the mob. The UN mission in Kosovo estimates organized crime to account for some 15-20 percent of Kosovo's economy.
"For 10 years we linked every problem to status," said Shpend Ahmeti, director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Pristina, referring to Kosovo's struggle to separate from Serbia. "We thought independence was going to simplify things. It has not. Independence has removed a mental block among Kosovars. Now, in every poll, the priority is not status, but jobs. We've moved from survival, to development and prosperity as a great need we don't yet have."
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Kosovo Development
Kosovo has a long road ahead, but I (and hopefully others) are interested in building a better future and helping young Kosovars realize their dreams. I have been purchasing technology equipment for the past year and have formed a non-profit organization here in the USA. We will be starting a technology center in Kosovo this fall (complete with a surface mount assembly line and microelectronics cleanroom) to offer hands-on training and design experience to electrical engineering students.
In 2011, we will begin to do sponsored research and development, and finally in 2012, we will launch a technology business incubator to help young Kosovars start international technology businesses. The technology center will be called Genesis Technology Center. Google us to learn more about it, if you are interested.
While the path ahead is difficult, the current situation offers the opportunity to make a huge and lasting difference for those who are willing to make the commitment.
The cost of independence for Kosovo
Dear Ms. Salem,
For an area that different powers have tried to destroy for over a century Kosovo is doing very good. People there are finally free, they don't fear anymore, and the progress will take time. After all Rome was not build in a day.
The newly discovered minerals in Kosovo are actually not new, that is a known fact for years now, thus the true interest of Serbia in Kosovo.
One thing is for sure now, good days for Kosovo are ahead, regardless of some people attempt to paint it as a bad place. Those who do either have bad intentions or don't really know what they are talking about (in my opinion)
"Totally Successful?"
Armera,
It's important to note that it was Kosovo's prime minister that declared Kosovo's first year as "totally successful." I think the author wanted to contradict that statement by shining a light on the huge problems that Kosovo faces. I don't think anybody expects all of Kosovo's problems to be solved in a year, but it's a hard sell to declare this first year to be "totally successful" when the country has the highest unemployment rate in Europe and half the population lives under the poverty line.
better then it was but still a long way to go
Kosovars are free now, but I think saying that Kosovo's first year of independence was "totally successful" may not be entirely accurate. According to the U.S. Department of State, Kosovo has around a 50% unemployment rate, 50% of Kosovars live below the poverty line and 12% live in extreme poverty. Things do appear to be improving though in terms of resources. The huge amounts of lignite coal and other important minerals found will hopefully boost the economy and create more jobs in the mining sector once the government starts the mining process. Kosovo's is still a poor country and does rely heavily on outside monetary contributions and the economy is propped up by $540 million worth of remittances from Kosovars living outside of the country, located mostly in Germany and Switzerland; accounting for roughly 30% of GDP. Kosovo's electrical power grid is unreliable and inconsistent, causing most people to have backup generators for when the power goes out. But, the Kosovo government has privatized the Kosovo Electricity Corporation which led to more investment and plans to build the New Kosovo power generation plant will significantly stabilize energy distribution so electricity will become more reliable. "Totally successful" may not have been the best way to describe Kosovo's first year of independence but htings have certainly gotten a lot better and it looks things are only going to improve from here.
Issues on Global Warming & Economic Meltdown
Thanks for the sharing your views and opinion on this blog! A lot of issues are present in our nation today. But amidst the global warming, climate change and increasing cost of oil prices, people are able to survive these changes by shifting to a much greener and econo-friendly lifestyle. As we can observe, majority of people in any industrialized country, never mind just America, are no longer employed in home agriculture, daily transportation to our chosen vocation is necessary. Anyhow, there are ways to reduce the costs associated with. (We are in a recession, but that shouldn't be your only motive to saving money.) Using public transport is a great start. It's cheaper, and since it's publicly funded, it's already paid for. Also, don't drive aggressively. Aggressive driving leads to more wear on brakes, more fuel consumption and wear on the motor and traffic tickets – a cost of daily transportation that is one you really want to avoid.
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