The Association of Municipalities of Kosovo (AKK) held the Annual General Assembly where delegates from the Municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo and Mayors of the Municipalities participated. The Assembly with a majority of votes has elected the Mayor of Lipjan, Mr. Imri Ahmeti, as the Chairman of the Association of Municipalities of Kosovo. The acting Chairman of AKK, Mr. Xhafer Gashi, opened the work of the Assembly, while the 2019 annual reports and the plans for 2020 were approved by a majority of votes. The holding of this Assembly was planned to be held in March, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Annual General Assembly of AKA today debated the annual work reports for 2019 as well as examined the Work Plan of AKA for 2020 as well as lobbying issues in the interest of Kosovo Municipalities during this year.
During the presentation of the Work Report of AKK for 2019, u.d. the chairman Mr. Xhafer Gashi, among other things, said that “even during 2019, the Association of Kosovo Municipalities has worked in the function of representing and protecting the interests of the municipalities, providing advanced services and improving the performance of the municipalities, consolidating and strengthening the new structures of AKK and good financial performance. These activities are based on the Strategic Plan of AKK for the year 2016-2020, the 2019 Annual Plan as well as in the legislative agenda of the Government and Parliament as well as the annual priorities set by the leading structures”.
He also added that “AKK has been included in the legislative agenda of the Government of the Assembly of Kosovo, being part of the working groups in the review of draft laws and other legal acts in the executive and has participated in the bodies of the Parliament in meetings and in several public hearings to support the positions and interests of the municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo. For 2019, the Government of Kosovo had approved the Legislative Program including 74 Draft Laws, of which AKK has selected 22 draft laws, which regulate competences or present obligations for the local level.
In this lobbying period, AKK has been focused on: Project – Law on Local Government Finances, Project – Law on Public-Private Partnership (PPP), Project – Law on Forests, Draft Law on Public Enterprises and Draft Laws on Inspections.
From the requirements, recommendations and proposals of the AKA for the central level, 70% of the recommendations and proposals of the AKA have been incorporated into draft laws and other legal acts, while our target was 60%. During 2019, AKK has continued to maintain constant contact and communication with the municipalities. In general, 115 different notices, reports, responses, draft laws, draft regulations, recommendations, proposed positions, etc., were sent to the municipalities. – said the mayor Gashi, among other things.
Regarding the election of the new Chairman of AKK and the completion of the Board of AKK, the Mayor of Gjilan, Mr. Lutfi Haziri, after thanking the chairman, Mr. Agim Veliu and the deputy chairman, Mr. Xhafer Gashi, for the successful leadership of AKK, proposed the Chairman of Lipan, Mr. Imri Ahmeti, as chairman of AKK and Mr. Sokol Haliti for AKK Board member.
The members of the Assembly elected Mr. Imri Ahmeti Chairman of AKK with a majority of votes and completed the Board of AKK with the Chairman Mr. Sokol Haliti.
The delegates of the General Assembly of AKK after discussions have unanimously approved the Annual Reports of AKK for 2019.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director Mr. Sazan Ibrahimi briefly presented the work plan for this year and the forms of lobbying in the interest of the municipalities of Kosovo, which received the approval of the delegates of the General Assembly of AKK. Mr. Ibrahimi presented the four objectives of the 2020 plan and the draft laws which the Association of Kosovo Municipalities will focus on to lobby for the interests of the local government of Kosovo.
At today’s meeting of the AKK General Assembly, the proposal to change the membership quota was also debated. After the discussions, the Assembly with a majority of votes approved the proposal of the AKK Board to increase the membership fee of the municipalities from 0.10 cents per inhabitant, which is currently, to 0.15 cents per inhabitant. In this regard, it was said that the Association of Municipalities of Kosovo has as a continuous goal the construction of a system of financial sustainability that guarantees the preservation of its functional and status independence. Also during these years, AKK has increased the range of services in relation to municipalities, marking another consolidation in terms of services and the organizational aspect in general. AKK’s performance in this regard has been positively awaited and evaluated by the member municipalities, but also by other partners of AKK.
The Mayors of the Municipalities then debated on the issues of lobbying in the interest of the Municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo, where the Assembly with a majority of votes also approved the Declaration of Local Policies in the Republic of Kosovo.
P.S. The translation into English and Serbian is automated with AI.
