Table of Contents

Kaçanik municipality was affected by a political gridlock for most of 2003 because of the re-election of the former Chief Executive Officer (PDK affiliated) despite an agreement between the PDK and AAK that the position would go to AAK. This led to a collapse of the PDK/AAK coalition. The subsequent defection of an LDK member who declared himself independent cleared the way for PDK to form a majority on its own. AAK and LDK then refused to participate in any Municipal Assembly session until a compromise was reached on the appointment of the CEO. On 14 October 2003 the Municipal Assembly elected a new CEO affiliated with the AAK. The Board of Directors was selected on the January 2004.

Kaçanik municipality was selected as one of 5 municipalities for implementation of the Pilot Project on Decentralization (Hani i Elezit). Mr. Mazllum Qajani was elected for the Pilot Municipal Unit President, therefore Mr.Qajani resigned from the post of the Kaçanik Municipal Assembly Deputy President . The Municipal Assembly on 27 th of December 2005 elected Mr. Hebib Shehu (LDK affiliated) for the Municipal Assembly Deputy President. The results for election of MA Deputy Presidents shows that until now existing agreement for coalition between PDK (14 seats in MA) and AAK (2 seats in MA) is not anymore functioning.

On 01 June 2004 Municipal Assembly established Communities Committee composed by 5 members (one LDK, one PDK, 3 from rural areas). Communities Committee held its inaugural session on 16th July 2004 and appointed chairperson. Establishment of Communities Committee was an outcome of prolonged lobbing of both UNMIK and OSCE for the establishment of the mandatory Committee in order to improve the efficiency of legislative bodies in Kaçanik municipality.

The economy of Kaçanik is mainly based on the production of construction material. There are 1,044
enterprises registered, that are classified as follows:- 983 small enterprises; 54 medium enterprises; 7 big enterprises.

Kaçanik has four independent companies three – “Sharr-Çimentorja”,”Kosovaplast” and “Salonit” - are located in Hani i Elezit and another two – “Silcapor” and “Lepenci” in Kaçanik. All the aforementioned were part of the Sharr-Combinate before 1989. The Combinate, which produced mainly cement and construction materials, was taken over by Serbia proper in 1990 and as a consequence many Kosovo Albanians employees lost their jobs. Investment ceased and machinery and maintenance was neglected.

Partial production commenced after the end of the conflict. Today the “Sharr” enterprise with its four branches is the largest employer in the region, with a total of 1,630 workers. The factory has been leased to the Holder Bank of Switzerland for 10 years and a total of €27 million has been invested by the bank to modernize the factory, build infrastructure, and provide community assistance.

In 2003 the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA) began the process of privatization of the Socially Owned Enterprises (SOE). The Lepenci factory (Lime) was in the first phase of privatization and the tender was won by a Macedonian businessman. Kosovaplast (the stripper) was privatized on the 5th row of privatization while the Silcapor factory has been privatized on the 6th row and it was taken by a local businessmen from Kaçanik.

UNMIK Customs Unit employs 10 workers at the main border crossing in Hani i Elezit and Glloboshicë. Private shops and other commercial businesses operating in the municipality are mostly family-run enterprises. Nevertheless the majority of population works in the agriculture sector or remains unemployed.

According to the Director of Finance and Economy, the unemployment rate is almost 80%. 8,000 people are registered as unemployed but the accurate data about the number of jobless people in the municipality is not available.
 

A Cultural House in Kaçanik hosts theatre productions, concerts, poetry evenings, and other activities. The cultural life in Kaçanik became more vivid in 2004 as the Municipality supports a number of activities organized in Cultural House. There is a library and a cinema in the town, operating with reduced staff. There is a football and playing field used by youth and by the Kaçanik ‘FC. Lepenci’ and “FC. Sharri’ from Hani I Elezit football clubs. The sport hall of secondary school is used for the activities of basketball, handball, and chess club. The youth centre that was established by IMC in the year 2000, is now working under the supervision of the department of Culture, Youth and Sport.
 

The police in Kaçanik municipality have been working independently from UNMIK Police since the 1
st January 2003, although the Border police still remain under the supervision of the Police Head Quarters in Prishtinë. The police in the municipality deal with minor crimes (burglary or theft) and major crimes (domestic violence, murder, and kidnapping). It is noted that the issue of smuggling falls under the responsibility of the police unit in Hani i Elezit.

The Kosovo Protection Corp (TMK), civil protection corps implements projects in the municipality i.e. the Earth Day organized annually with the KPS. During the winter they clean the inaccessible roads in the area, and act in the emergency cases (especially during the difficult weather conditions). They plan to make the road to Ivajë passable for cars. From the TMK Gjilan 6th Protection Area in Kaçanik operates one brigade, Brigada 362, which is made up of 50members (19 of them are on “stand by”).

Though Kaçanik liaises in the US KFOR sector, Polish military presence is tasked with traffic control on the highway to FYR Macedonia where Polish and Ukrainian KFOR are responsible for the area and assist the Glloboçicë and Hani i Elezit crossings.
 

During 2004 the municipality financed street lights at the main streets in town. Reconstruction of the road from the center of town to the village Runjevë started in September 2004 and was finished on the September 2005 this was financed by the Municipality.

A Fire Brigade service has been set up and staff have been recruited and trained in Prishtinë/Priština. US KFOR donated a fire truck and a second has been purchased from the municipal budget. The Fire Brigade operates under the Office for Emergency Response of the municipality.

The main railway track between Prishtinë and Skopje passes through Kaçanikk and is only used by KFOR for military cargo. Small, private bus companies connect Kaçanik with the neighboring municipalities and Prishtinë and local buses commute to villages.

A survey on housing damage for 2000 showed that approximately 12 percent of the houses in the municipality were totally destroyed, while 11 percent were moderately or severely damaged. Out of 1,474 destroyed or damaged houses 1,131 reconstructed have been, while the remaining 300, placed mainly in the rural areas, are still waiting for funds for the reconstruction.

The water supply is generally good, apart from rare cuts. The electricity supply is the same as in other parts of Kosova. Although it is possible to place phone calls within the municipality, it is virtually impossible to connect it to other municipalities. As far as the usage of the mobile phones is concerned - due to the mountainous terrain - there is a relatively poor reception of the Alcatel Vala 900 network, while the MOB-Tel network operates in few areas.

In 2002 a dumpsite was opened in the village of Stagova, which serves the Municipalities of Kaçanik and Shtërpcë. Due to the lack of consultation with the villagers before building the dumpsite, the village has frozen its relations with the municipality: The villagers boycotted the municipal elections in autumn 2002, and on 2004 refused hosting the delegation of the municipal officials in the village. The dumpsite is officially closed on 2005.