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"Actually, we depend a lot on the diaspora. All businesses are waiting for these months", says Kujtim Behluli, representative of a shopping center in Suhareka.
During the summer months, he says, sales increase by more than 50 percent.
In particular, from July 20 to August 15, sales differ greatly from other months of the year, says Behluli.
The visits of citizens of Kosovo who live in different countries of the world are more numerous during the summer.
In July alone, 400,000 arrivals and departures were registered at Pristina International Airport "Adem Jashari". There were also large flows of people at the land borders.
Switzerland, Germany and Austria are the destinations with the most travelers and flights. These are the three countries where the Kosovo diaspora is concentrated the most.
Diaspora revives hotel industry and tourism
Hysen Sogojeva, leader of the Chamber of Hotel and Tourism of Kosovo, says for Radio Free Europe that this sector is revived by the "great influx of emigrants".
"The means they spend in Kosovo are an infusion for the economy, and mostly for the hotel industry and gastronomy", Sogojeva says for Radio Free Europe.
From visits to various businesses, he says that almost every one of them has reported an increase in the number of visitors by more than 25 percent.
"This sector has barely survived, but now the influx of the diaspora has made these businesses recover," says Sogojeva, referring to the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CBK: Income from the diaspora, an important factor for the economy
The Central Bank of Kosovo (CBK) tells Radio Free Europe that the Kosovo diaspora plays a very important role in the country's economy through sending remittances, investments in real estate and spending during vacations in Kosovo.
In 2022, the value of remittances or money sent by the diaspora to Kosovo reached 1.22 billion euros, which means 6.0 percent more than the previous year, while the value of the expenses that the diaspora made in Kosovo was nearly 2 billion euros.
"During 2022, remittances constituted about 13.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), travel services about 20.9% and foreign direct investments in real estate about 5.3%. In total, they make up about 40% of GDP", says the CBK statement, sent to Radio Free Europe.
According to her, in the first six months of this year, the value of remittances was 632.9 million euros, while the value of diaspora expenses, in the first five months of the year, was over 593 million euros.
Based on these data, according to the CBK, income from the diaspora is an important factor for economic growth, which last year reached 3 percent.
Similarly, the expert on economic issues, Haki Shatri, former Minister of Economy and Finance, also claims.
Përveçse i kontribuojnë rritjes ekonomike, thotë ai, mjetet e diasporës shërbejnë si të ardhura shtesë për njerëzit në nevojë.
“…dhe jo të gjitha këto mjete evidentohen, disa hyjnë edhe në mënyra që nuk arrijnë të regjistrohen”, thotë Shatri.
“Dërgoj para çdo muaj”
Në muajin korrik, REL-i bisedoi me disa qytetarë nga diaspora, që vizituan ambientet e Kuvendit të Kosovës, gjatë aktivitetit tradicional “Bashkatdhetarët në Kuvend”.
Pothuajse të gjithë nga ta thanë se dërgojnë para çdo muaj për familjet e tyre në Kosovë.
“Kam motrat këtu dhe nënën dhe më duhet t’i ndihmoj. Dërgoj para çdo muaj. Edhe për mua është vështirë t’i ndaj ato mjete që i dërgoj në Kosovë, por punojmë shumë dhe ia dalim”, tha Hysni Makovci, i cili jeton në Gjermani nga viti 1999.
According to the data of the Statistics Agency of Kosovo, the number of citizens of Kosovo living abroad, until the end of 2018, was over 850,000./REL
Lini një Përgjigje