The Kosovo minister of Economy and Environment said on Tuesday that the accounts of Kosovo Telecom cannot be unlocked in two days, as requested by the workers union in their ultimatum to the government.
On Monday, the employees of Kosovo Telecom warned of protests and strikes if the Government does not take any steps to unlock the accounts and return the funds which were blocked and withdrawn by the private company “Dardafon”, as a consequence of a debt.
They gave 72 hours to the government to come up with a solution, stating this was an ultimatum that could result in consequences “never seen” before.
“I am sure we cannot [return the funds] within two days as the union stated, but we are discussing. We are in a process of an agreement to find a long-term solution,” minister Kuci said at the Committee on Economy, Employment, Trade, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Investments.
“We are trying to find a solution, but not in two days,” he added.
The public enterprise ended up with empty accounts after it was accused of failing to provide sufficient SIM cards and 3G and 4G services, in breach of a contract signed in 2009.
In December 2016, the London Court of International Arbitration ruled in favor of Z-mobile [trade name of Dardafone] and obliged Kosovo Telecom to pay around 30 million euros in compensation.
