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United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kosovo, in immediate reponse to COVID-19 and in line with our mandate to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities, provided today laptops and protective items to the Division of Social Assistance (DSA) at the Ministry of Finance and Transfers (MFT). The equipment will allow the Centre for Social Work (CSW) to continue their work more effectively also when there are restrictions of movement.
Mr. Besnik Bislimi Minister of Finance and Transfers, H.E. Christoph Weidinger, Austrian Ambassador to Kosovo, Ms. Maria Suokko, UNDP Resident Representative, MFT and UNDP officials were present at the handover which took place outside the Ministry of Finance and Transfers.
This donation was provided as part of the regional Promoting Inclusive Labour Market Solutions in the Western Balkans (ILMS II) project funded by Austrian Development Agency (ADA). The project aims to facilitate the work of the Division and Centres for Social Work while implementing the Government Emergency Fiscal Package in response to COVID-19.
Division of Social Assistance is responsible to implement measure 15 of the Government Emergency Fiscal Package which stipulates payment of €130 Euros per month for April, May and June to citizens living under poor social conditions, declared as unemployed and who are not beneficiaries of any monthly income from the public or private sector and provision of other social services for Kosovo citizens. The role of the CSWs is increasingly crucial during the pandemic as they provide services to the most vulnerable people in Kosovo, the beneficiaries of social assistance Currently there are 24689 families in Kosovo who receive social assistance and with the added number of providing services to the beneficiaries of measure 15, it is of utmost importance that these services are delivered in a timely and efficient manner. IT solutions tools will enable officials to work uninterrupted even from home, facilitate communication with clients thus improving the quality and timeline of delivery of services.
Accepting the donation, Minister Bislimi said: “We, at the Ministry of Finance and Transfers have been working with reduced staff trying to fulfill all our responsibilities, with special emphasis on those related to the implementation of the Emergency Fiscal Package. This situation has influenced us to reflect and understand we have many friends. Therefore, I am honoured as Minister of Finance and Transfers to thank UNDP and our friends the people and the government of Austria for this very valuable and necessary donation. This donation is dedicated to facilitating the implementation of the measures of the Emergency Fiscal Package dedicated to the vulnerable. We hope that the cooperation with UNDP will continue and we will implement other joint in the future”.
“UNDP is committed to supporting the Kosovo institutions during the pandemic to continue delivering their services as effectively as possible. Particularly those hit the hardest - socially and economically - by the effects of the pandemic should receive the support they need. We are grateful to ADA for the financial support and partnership that allows us to deliver these equipment today, as part of our regional cooperation in supporting inclusive labor market solutions”, said Maria Suokko, UNDP Resident Representative.
H.E. Christoph Weidinger, Austrian Ambassador to Kosovo, expressed his pleasure at participating in this handover event: “It is my pleasure to be here today and witness the assistance delivered by my country through Austrian Development Agency – ADA, knowing that this donation will directly assist people who help Kosovo’s most vulnerable. Together with our partners, we support efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ambassador Weidinger.
The donation includes:
12 Laptops to support IT solutions and facilitate DSA-s work;
500 Protective masks KN95;
500 hand sanitizers 500 ml;
200 packages of protective gloves;
82 Mobile Phone Scratch cards (20€) for the essential staff, in order to facilitate communication with clients during provision of their services and implementation of government emergency measures.
Working at the heart of UN Kosovo Team, UNDP in Kosovo has been supporting the people and institutions of Kosovo to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic since the outbreak, focusing particularly on the most vulnerable. We have rapidly shifted focus, responding swiftly and efficiently and reorienting our programme to assist Kosovo’s efforts to stop the spread of the virus, helping to protect people from the pandemic and its impacts, respond during the outbreak, and recover from the economic and social impacts in the months to come.
To learn more about our work to fight the pandemic, please visit our page: https://www.ks.undp.org/content/kosovo/en/home/covid-19-pandemic-response.html
For more information, please contact:
Burbuqe Dobranja, UNDP Communications Associate
Phone: (038) 249 066 ext. 410; mobile: 049 720 800 e-mail: burbuqe.dobranja@undp.org
Danijela Mitić, Communication Associate UNDP
Phone: (038) 249 066 ext. 412; mobile: 049 720 824 e-mail: danijela.mitic@undp.org
