23/11/2010

Kosovo emigrant’s remittances are still playing an important role in countries economy, by inducing economical growth and ensuring some extra income for their low income families. UNDP in collaboration with CBK, USAID and IMF published a study of Kosovo emigrant’s remittances. This study contributes to a better understanding of flow, use and efficiency of emigrant’s remittances on life of citizens and their influence in Kosovo economy in general. The study was made possible on a strong collaboration with USAID, IMF, Central Bank of Kosovo, Ministry of Economy and Finance and Statistical Office of Kosovo. On the release conference for this study was discussed about the importance of these remittances.  
 UNDP representative Mrs. Osnat Lubrani stated that findings on this study show that emigrant’s remittances do not make people lazy to work; their effect is an income effect and is considered as a considerable morbid ant in reducing level of poverty in Kosovo. While USAID representative stated that remittances from Kosovo Diaspora represent one of the most important factors on improvement of life of people in Kosovo. Mrs. Azza El-Abd also underlined that Kosovo’s economical environment represents a very good possibility for attraction of investments from Diaspora. IMF representative in Kosovo Mr. Jose Sulemane said that this research except from including opinion and information from family economies in Kosovo includes also direct information from Diaspora as time for drafting this study has corresponded to time when Kosovo’s Diaspora mostly visits its own country.  
Governor on duty of CBK, Mr. Gani Gërguri, stated that according to CBK statistics, emigrant’s remittances are contagiously reaching the value of 500 million euro in the last 3 years and on the first half of 2010 this remittances show an increase of 1.3 percent. He also emphasized the necessity of working on emigrant’s remittances prediction as a substantial component of counties macro economy. Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Ahmet Shala among others stated emigrant’s remittances have been one of the main pillars of the economy of Kosovo especially on pre-war period, while after war it was Diaspora that send considerable founds on rebuilding Kosovo.
During this conference were presented findings of research among which the socio-economical characteristics of family economies in Kosovo and Diaspora, Kosovo people tendencies for emigration, emigrant’s remittances and their use and Kosovo people tendencies for remittances during 2010. Despite all this during the conference were also presented remittance effects on income, employment, access on health care and access on family economy education on Kosovo. 
Besides all this, the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo presented the last figures on emigrant’s remittances for the first half of 2010 and an analyse on determinants of this remittances and Diaspora’s potential for investments in Kosovo.  
UNDP’s Publication:Kosovo Remittance study 2010

CBK’s Presentation : The Role of Remittances for Kosovo’s Economy