Governor Ismaili: Cooperation with academia key to advancing publications and analyses that strengthen policies and decision-making

The Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK), Mr. Ahmet Ismaili, took part in an academic event presenting the project “DataSphere: A comprehensive data platform for economic, structural, and social indicators in Kosovo,” a project of the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” and the University “Haxhi Zeka,” supported by the Embassy of the United States of America.

In his address to the audience, Governor Ismaili praised the project as a concrete step toward strengthening a culture of data use and evidence-based research, as well as a successful example of interinstitutional cooperation between academia and public institutions. According to him, initiatives of this kind contribute directly to the advancement of academic knowledge, financial education, and support for informed policymaking.

Furthermore, Governor Ismaili highlighted the CBK’s ongoing commitment to the development, improvement, and publication of macroeconomic and financial statistics as a key element for monitoring economic developments and for data-driven decision-making. He added that these data are regularly reported to international institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank, the European Central Bank, and Eurostat, thereby strengthening the credibility and international integration of Kosovo’s statistics.

Emphasizing the institutional role, Governor Ismaili underlined that the CBK regularly publishes monetary and financial statistics, external sector statistics, monthly bulletins, quarterly reports, as well as key reports such as the Financial Stability Report, Financial Stability Indicators, and the Quarterly Assessment of the Economy. According to him, these publications enhance transparency, improve public access to data, and support economic analysis and scientific research.

These publications are essential for the formulation of monetary and macroprudential policies, for assessing financial stability, and for monitoring the country’s external position. The analysis of macroeconomic developments, the early identification of systemic risks, and the assessment of interlinkages between the financial sector and the real economy, Governor Ismaili noted, cannot be achieved without strong statistical foundations.

Speaking about the project, Governor Ismaili particularly valued the structuring and integration of statistics from various institutional sources and the increased access provided to the academic community. He emphasized that the project’s regional comparative dimension creates new opportunities for economic convergence analysis and for assessing Kosovo’s progress in relation to the Western Balkan countries, also in the context of European integration processes.

Governor Ismaili stressed that his participation and the CBK’s support for this activity are directly linked to the CBK Strategic Plan, especially to objectives related to cooperation with academia, research institutions, professional organizations, and financial education activities.

The CBK remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote high-quality statistics, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making, in the service of financial stability and Kosovo’s sustainable economic development.