Gerxhaliu: A silent emptying of Kosovo is happening

Former President of the Chamber of Commerce, Safet Gerxhaliu, says that a "silent emptying of Kosovo" is underway, which is evident from the fact that the private sector, due to problems with the workforce, is increasingly employing workers from Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.

“It is true that the private sector has problems when it comes to the workforce. On the other hand, we have an import of labor, especially from Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. Thirdly, you have many people who are unemployed and are not included in the employment census. We must agree that statistical analyses need to provide accurate results from accurate data, not accurate results from incorrectly inputted data,” Gerxhaliu told Kosovo Online.

He explains that because of this, a group of economists approached the Statistical Office, asking for general data on the population, the ratio of men to women, as well as data related to the workforce and employment.

This expert emphasizes that the census should clearly define how many citizens are in the diaspora.

“There are ambiguities not only according to analysts but also based on various data. Care must be taken to find out the exact number of citizens currently living in Kosovo, how many are abroad, how many have taken foreign citizenship, and how they are treated in the population census. In this context, I think that visa liberalization has led to a significant number of people leaving Kosovo. Whether this is a temporary departure or not, I do not know, we will find out over time. But in some way, there is a silent emptying of Kosovo, which may not be visible at first glance, but it is happening, and it certainly affects the population numbers,” Gerxhaliu stressed.

Commenting on the recently completed population census, this expert assesses that it was the biggest event because this process is important not only from a political but also from an economic and social perspective.

“Based on the population number and everything discovered, a development strategy for the future can be created, whether for five, ten, or 15 years. It is a significant factor that should be used for development and perspective,” Gerxhaliu said.

He explains that for the first time, a new method was used in this census – digital census-taking, which involved more than 3,000 enumerators.

“The details will be seen based on the results. But the truth is that it was a very large project that should be used for planning and a better perspective for all of us,” Gerxhaliu emphasized.

He points out that this process had its shortcomings.

The first is the fact that municipalities with a Serbian majority in the north were not included in the census, which, Gerxhaliu emphasizes, will have negative consequences.

“On the other hand, I think it must be clearly defined who the residents are, the permanent citizens, as this includes the diaspora, and thus the registration shows that they were not included in this process. This is a problem that will have negative consequences. The exact number of Kosovo citizens, including the diaspora, must be defined,” the economist warned.