Shahini: Other crossings should also be opened for the passage of Serbian goods under increased control

The President of the Kosovo Business Alliance, Agim Shahini, believes that Kosovo has the capacity to carry out increased control of goods coming from Serbia at other crossings, not just at Merdare. Opening additional crossings for goods from Serbia, he says, would reduce congestion and avoid the daily costs caused by trucks waiting for long periods at Merdare.

Today marks one year since the Kosovo Government partially lifted the ban on importing Serbian goods, allowing entry only through Merdare under customs and police control. The prerequisite for opening the other crossings, as announced at the time, was that Kosovo, with the help of Germany and other countries, would provide scanners.

Considering announcements that the two scanners to be procured by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) would only be operational in the final months of 2026, Shahini noted that the Kosovo Business Alliance had warned even then that the process could not be completed quickly, as the scanners need to be built according to Kosovo’s specifications.

“The Kosovo Business Alliance has always supported proper control, regardless of where the goods come from or their destination, but it should never be selective. Currently, there is only one entry point, Merdare, for all goods coming from Serbia. This causes significant damage due to trucks and drivers waiting. Goods wait for days, creating higher costs. We want these scanners installed as soon as possible. Albania has had this system for years: any goods flagged for inspection go through the scanner, payment is made, the process is completed, and the goods continue. Here, control is still manual and handled by Kosovo customs,” Shahini said.

The problem, he emphasized, is that drivers, whether Albanian or Serbian, transporting goods from Serbia to Kosovo sometimes wait up to three days, especially during the summer season, generating costs ultimately paid by citizens, the consumers.

He stated that introducing scanners at the crossings would benefit all businesses.

“Whether they are Kosovo, Serbian, international, or any other traders, everyone waits there. It has a significant impact because transportation costs rise due to delays. I would call on the Kosovo government to open the border at Jarinje and the Bela Zemlja crossing near Gnjilane as soon as possible, and to increase controls at all crossings with Serbia, just like at Merdare. We have the capacity to do this, with sufficient customs and police staff. This would reduce congestion and avoid daily costs for fuel products, which in the end are paid by all citizens or consumers, either from Kosovo or Serbia,” Shahini pointed out.