UNMIK on air

Fish farm

By Gezim Kasapolli

 

 

 

The process of privatization is essential in Kosovo and economists working here assert - it is the only way for many socially owned enterprises to revive and start production process that have been stalled for some time now.

 

Nevertheless, one fish farm in Western Kosovo is defying the odds in the midst of a privatization process still struggling to get on its feet in a new market economy.

 

Hello and welcome. You are listening to UNMIK on air.

 

Sound

Water running in fish-tanks

 

After three years of silence, the water in the fish-tanks of “Trofta” Company in Istog has started running again.

 

Sound

Reading out loud of bids, announcing the winning bid …Audience applauds, a winner stands up smiling, fists in the air (victory!), people congratulate each other etc.

 

“Trofta” is a fish farm that was privatized last year and is beginning to restore the good business name it once had in this provincial town of 40.000 inhabitants.

 

Ismail Bytyqi is the owner of “Trofta”. Bytyqi lived in Brussels for 23 years - deciding to come back to Kosovo was not easy, he says.  But, re-opening “Trofta” was a way of making his dreams come true.

 

Cut 1. “It was my wish and pleasure that after the re-establishment of Kosovo, I would have an opportunity to invest part of my capital here. In the beginning I invested 2 million and 12 thousand euros when I bought the company, and have invested some additional money since the purchase I am interested in investing here so we could give a chance for this company to prosper in a different environment then before because there were no investments in this facility for around 30 years 01:05:45.   

 

Reviving a business that has not seen new investment for 30 years, Bytyqi has faced many difficulties.

 

“Trofta” was in very poor physical condition and much had to be done to both the interior and exterior of the premises.

 

FADE IN

Sound of fish in the fish-tanks

 

In April, after months of remodeling - the fish tanks are now full and Trofta” has opened its door for customers.

 

Again, Ismail Bytyqi:

 

SOUNDBITE:Ismail Bytyqi

01:09:17

 “I am the main fish supplier and we have good cooperation with everybody. Lately there is a feeling that the consumption has decreased and maybe this is a result of the political, economic crisis that is present in our society.   01:07: 22 Quality is excellent and I’m saying this on behalf of the experts that work here. I kept the entire team of experts who worked here before and I even re-enforced that team with the new generation. According to thEse experts we have A PRODUCT quality that HAS NOT BEEN SEEN IN THE HISTORY OF “Trofta”.   

 

Sound of workers collecting fish

 

The quality of Trofta’s operations is echoed by the workers – many of who say that they were waiting for quite some time for the privatization process to be completed.

 

According to Bytyqi - there are 67 workers employed at “Trofta” of which many are coming from the veteran ranks of days past.

 

Mal Kaliqani is the head worker at Trofta and one of the oldest workers still employed. He says that he can finally see the benefits of many years of experience.

 

SOUNDBITE:

Mal Kaliqani -- worker

01:25: 42

“ For me this is very big pleasure when I see how THINGS ARE progressing now 01:26:03 I worked a lot, I gave my contribution here. I worked also in very hard conditions and I even worked here for only 10 Deutsche marks per month. Now I have a good salary, I can see that business is going good and it is a big pleasure for me.”

 

Salaries aside, “Trofta” is one of the companies whose workers have benefited from the privatization process – there are mounting challenges to the other companies trying to do the same.

 

Sound of bottles being filled

 

For the factory of one Kosovo mineral water company - “Banja e Kllokotit” - workers express uncertainty for their future despite the guarantees that they get from management. Berat Ahmeti is the manager of “Banja e Kllokotit”.

 

SOUNDBITE: Berat Ahmeti - manager

00:02:34

“I have no doubt that there is a little fear in the reaction of workers in thinkiing that they will lose their jobs, but if we have the luck to win this tender then they will all stay here and of course we will hire new workers, and they will be a part of the program that we will present during the process of tendering.” 

 

Although the general feeling is that privatization was more then necessary, Kosovo businessmen agree that most of the companies are overpriced considering that most of them were abandoned or misused. Ismajl Bytyqi thinks that in the future this should be taken into consideration. 

 

SOUNDBITE:01:18:10 Ismail Bytytqi – Trofta owner

“Our companies are being bought at very expensive rates. It is more reasonable to find a way for our enterprises to be privatized as soon as possible, to be sold cheaper but with the condition that the buyer should have the ability to further invest in that enterprise.”

 

The third round of privatization is planned to start on the 15th of September and many other socially owned companies will be a part of a new market economy in Kosovo. Hopefully “Trofta” will provide A REALISTIC MODEL for new investors who decide to invest in Kosovo.

 

This concludes this edition of UNMIK on air. Thanks for listening and stay tuned.