Let the citizens speak!

A call to the Municipality of Prishtina for public consultation on the Regulation on Waste Management ♻️

In 2023, the Municipality of Prishtina had planned a budget of 4 million 338 thousand euros, but spent only 2 million 269 thousand 236.75 euros, an execution rate of only 52.31%. According to the report, the Municipality paid the company “Pastrimi” a sum of 3 million 900 thousand 572.40 euros. 💰

Moreover, the Municipality has launched procedures for a three-year waste management contract with a total value of 16 million 500 thousand euros. This is 21.12% higher than the current budget, and exceeds the budget planned in the Medium-Term Budget Framework for 2025–2027. 🔼

Discrepancies in billing and collection 📉

In the 2022 Waste Management Report, billing reached 5 million 135 thousand 325.86 euros, while planned collection was only 2 million 809 thousand 990.56 euros, creating a gap of 54.72%. This happened while the service is reported to have 100% coverage. 📊

Legal compliance and institutional gaps ⚖️

The Waste Management Report highlights several significant shortcomings, such as:

1. The Municipal Waste Management Plan has not been adopted 🌍❌

2. There are no environmental inspectors 🚫👮‍♂️

3. There are no licensed contractors for construction and demolition waste 🏗️🛑

4. There is no report on the fines imposed 📜⚖️

Risk to the company “Pastrimi” and regional impact ⚠️

As the main shareholder in the Regional Waste Company “Pastrimi” 🚛, the Municipality of Prishtina, by withdrawing from its services, risks driving it into bankruptcy. This could lead to the loss of 900 jobs 👷‍♂️👷‍♀️ and to a deterioration of services for the other municipalities where it operates 🏘️🔧. Moreover, the Municipality of Prishtina, as the largest shareholder, should first invite the other shareholder municipalities to discuss these actions.

The Regulation on Waste Management and the public consultation process 📝

According to the Regulation on Waste Management adopted in 2023, Article 16 (duties and responsibilities of the companies responsible for waste management), point 2 specifies that the RWC “Pastrimi” is responsible for waste management, and under point 3 the municipality may contract companies to assist the RWC “Pastrimi” in the event of operational difficulties.

In the decision published on 16 October 2024, the Municipal Assembly decided to launch a public consultation on the draft regulation, scheduled between 15 October and 20 November 2024. However, the document is available neither on the official consultation platform nor on the Municipality’s website. 📚❌

Recommendations 👥

To ensure a fair and transparent process, it is recommended to:

1. Extend the deadline for public discussions on the regulation. 🗓️

2. Organise separate meetings with affected parties to address their concerns and suggestions. 🤝

3. Publish the consultation document on official platforms to ensure transparency and broader participation. 📢