Road toll row: Kosovo business community urges suspension until fall 2018

Minister of Finance and Economy Arben Ahmetaj and Minister of Infrastructure Damian Gjiknuri held Wednesday a meeting with representatives of Kosovo Chamber of Commerce in the framework of consultations on Nation’s Road toll.

Minister Gjiknuri promised that frequent road users would pay a lower fee and added that the reduction would be applied equally to businesses from Albania and Kosovo without creating practices of discrimination and unfair competition.

Minister Ahmetaj said that businesses will pay less compared to the initial tariffs, but, however, he reminded that this is the cost that will be transferred to the state budget and taxpayers.

Business representatives from Kosovo demanded that the application of the toll on Nation’s Road be launched after the end of the tourist season, while suggesting that the tariff reduction for Kosovar businesses should be partially compensated by the Kosovo government.

In late March, hundreds of protesters gathered on the Albanian highway to object to the introduction of tolls.

Police said 14 officers were injured, while local media reported protesters were also hurt.

The crowd threw stones at police and torched toll booths in violent scenes. The planned tolls range from €2.50 to €22.50.

An international consortium has been granted a 30-year concession to maintain the road, build new links and charge tolls.

Many tourists from landlocked Kosovo use the link to reach Albania’s Adriatic coast. The road reduces travel times from six hours to two.

The 110-kilometer Albanian portion of the road cost more than €1 billion ($1.2 billion).

The road passes through steep mountainous terrain with a series of viaducts and a 5.5 kilometer double-bore tunnel. The road is Albania’s first-ever modern toll road.

SCAN

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