Ljajic: North Kosovo short of milk, fruit and vegetables

Rasim Ljajic

Serbian Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic on June 26 said that North Kosovo was faced with shortages of milk, fruit and vegetables.

“In the morning on June 26, we were informed that milk was the most in-demand food item, that there were shortages of fruit and vegetables, while supplies of other foodstuffs were running out,” Ljajic told public broadcaster RTS.

He also said that after the Kosovo police raid in North Kosovo on May 28, the volume of goods arriving to Kosovo from central Serbia had been on the decline.

The imposition of 100 percent tariffs on the goods coming from Serbia “has caused losses to all,” primarily the Serbian economy.

“The value of goods shipped to Kosovo from Nov. 21, 2018 to June 24, this year, decreased by EUR228 million year-on-year. The prices in Kosovo have gone up 5.3 percent. Further, Kosovo has reported a 6.4 percent increase in imports despite announcements that the local producers would exploit the tariffs imposed on the Serbian goods to boost production. Those who have probably profited from this situation include smugglers and the countries in the neighborhood,” Ljajic said.

He added that the issue of tariffs had turned into an internal political matter in Kosovo, noting that the only “political profiteer” was Kosovo Premier Ramush Haradinaj, who was the one to impose the tariffs.