Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj stated that the toll on the Kosovo-Albania “Rruga e Kombit” Highway is “inexplicable” and an added tax burdening on the Kosovo businesses.
In yesterday’s interview on “Përballë” TV show with journalist Lytfi Dervishi, Haradinaj also said that he had expressed his concern to the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
I’m sorry that this tariff, toll was imposed. To make things worse, vehicles [transporting goods] have to pay a very high tariff for the scanning machine. It’s inexplicable. We talked to him, [of course] we talked to him, how could we not, but nevertheless… We cannot put conditions on Albania: If you don’t remove [the toll] we will do this or that. This not the way to go. I hope that some solution will be found, but it’s hard [for us] to impose a solution.
The Rama government announced the toll on the Kosovo-Albania Highway on 23 March 2018. The application of the toll by the road concession company was going to start on April 15th.
Protests by residents of the Kukës district temporarily blocked the imposition of tolls. Prime Minister Rama did not take into consideration the demands of residents and businesses in both countries to remove or lower the toll road fee. In April 2018, Rama stated that:
[Road] users are going to pay 5 euros and they shouldn’t even discuss over it.”
The government decision to set a 5 euro toll for cars and 22.5 euros per truck for a one-way pass through the Kosovo-Albania highway raises the price of communication and acts as a barrier between the two countries.
