Labinot Vitija, director of the company "Matkos Group", which has built 4 hydropower plants, today reported to the parliamentary investigative committee about the process of licensing, operation, supervision and application for hydropower plant permits in the Republic of Kosovo. During his reporting, he said that for the construction of these hydropower plants, he has respected all the laws of Kosovo. While he emphasized the problems he had with the construction of the hydropower plant in Lower Biti, he said that in this project the residents caused damage of around 2 million euros.
He said that as the law provides, public debates were also held where the project for these hydropower plants was presented, but that the interest of the residents in hearing about these projects was small.
Vitija has also shown how they were attacked by the residents of Lower Bitija with guns as a sign of protest.
"After the public debate, I also received other relevant documents such as the water consent, the preliminary authorization and now the final one...after I received the final permit for the Viča hydropower plant on November 11, 2014 from the Office of the Regulator, after that I started to open the route for about 6 kilometers, where there are 5 villages that are included in that area, where only in Lower Biti there I had a problem, from some residents... In the Viça hydropower plant where Bitia is also included, there are five villages there, out of 5 villages in Biti I had a problem after this problem, the citizens wanted to know what is happening with them because they had no information, we held a debate in the premises of the municipality, where they were from the ministry and the municipality, and I explained everything about what is happening to me", said Vitija.
He said that he built the hydropower plant in Brezovica for six months and did not encounter any opposition from the residents of that area and in 2017 the hydropower plant in question was released for operation.
also
Investigating the construction of HCs
The director of the company "Matkos Group", Labinot Vitija, said that investing in Kosovo is quite difficult and investors encounter many problems.
Vitija requested that politics stay further away from investments, as he says, for a handful of votes, citizens have been used to go out on the streets and protest against his projects.
The member of this commission from the ranks of the Vetëvendosje Movement, Sali Zyba, was interested in knowing about the revenues of Vitija when he received the project for the construction of four hydropower plants.
He even asked to know if the six-month work of the hydro plant in Brezovica is being supervised.
"At the time when you applied, you were at a very young age and did you have an initial capital of millions as an investment, did you start with such capital or was it just an idea and then the opportunities became available.... What is the concrete problem in Biti, because there were indeed protests and objections, at one point you said that this hydropower plant involved five villages, this debate you had in five villages?" asked Zyba.
also
The construction of mini-hydropower plants resumes, the residents powerless to oppose
The director of the company "Matkso Group", while showing the way of financing these projects, said that he worked according to the laws of Kosovo that were approved in the Assembly of Kosovo.
"I had a partner from Bulgaria where he had a bank guarantee of 30 million euros where after he covered the investment, then he withdrew and I started with others because the processes were delayed, it is very difficult to convince someone to invest with me with all these problems as for the debate according to the laws, I worked everything according to the laws you created. According to the law, as the law required, I acted, I held a debate on all projects, I respected the law, I believe that everything is in order with the law", said Vitija.
Meanwhile, Bajrush Xhemajli from PDK, asked that since the hydropower plant in Brezovica is functional, at what stage are the works for the other three hydropower plants. Vitija on this occasion said that the others are in the final stage and this year he expects to make them functional as well.
The PDK MP specifically asked if the inhabitants of Lower Bitia have had reductions in drinking water due to the works in this area.
also
The MIA inspectorate inspects the works of the hydropower plant in Lower Biti
Regarding the possible damages caused by the works, Vitija said that all damages have been repaired with time.
Ylber Shamolli, director of the "Eurokos" company, is currently reporting to the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on the process of licensing, operation, supervision and application for hydropower plant permits in the Republic of Kosovo./KSP
