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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, tablets and protective items to the Kosovo Employment Agency (KEA) at the Ministry of Economy, Employment, Trade, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Investments (MEETIESI). The equipment will allow Public Employment Service (PES) to continue their work more effectively during the current movement restrictions.
Ms. Rozeta Hajdari, Minister of Economy, Employment, Trade, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Investments , H.E. Christoph Weidinger, Austrian Ambassador to Kosovo, Ms. Maria Suokko, UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Gunther Zimmer, Counsellor and Head of ADA in Kosovo, General Director of KEA, Mr. Drin Haraçia, and other MEETIESI, KEA, and UNDP and ADA officials were present at the handover which took place at the Kosovo Employment Agency.
This donation was provided as part of the regional project “Promoting Inclusive Labour Market Solutions in the Western Balkans” (ILMS II) funded by Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). The project aims to facilitate the work of the Public Employment Service (PES) while implementing the Government Emergency Fiscal Package in response to COVID-19 and provision of other employment services for registered jobseekers.
The Employment Agency in addition to providing regular services for jobseekers and businesses, they are also responsible for registration of unemployed persons to be eligible to apply to benefit from the 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 at the Employment Agency and who are not beneficiaries of any monthly income from the public or private sector and provision of other employment services including active labour market measures to Kosovo citizens.
The role of the Employment Agency is very important and more so during the pandemic as they provide services to all registered jobseekers in Kosovo. Currently there are 160,293 registered jobseekers in the Employment Management Information System of the Employment Agency where 62,360 of these registered jobseekers were registered during the last two months, from 13 March to 19 May. With the added number of beneficiaries of measure 15 to provide services for, 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 distance, simplifying the communication with clients which will, consequently, improve the quality and timeline of delivery of services. IT Solution tools are provided to the Agency at a critical time as they are, with UNDP’s support, establishing an online platform where jobseekers can receive digital services at the Employment Offices, by having direct access to the application for the active labour market measures. Furthermore, the project is supporting outreach activities within PES services by functionalizing TV screens enabling clients to have access to information tables during their visits in PES. Additionally, the official web service is linked with employment management information system .
The role of the Employment Agency is crucial during the pandemic but it will be even more important once the recovery phase starts when the need for employment and training services will be decisive as registered jobseekers, mostly youth and vulnerable groups, will have access to gaining skills and finding jobs.
Accepting the donation, Minister Hajdari said: “I would like to use this opportunity to express special thanks to the Austrian Government and UNDP for this donation provided as part of Promoting Inclusive Labour Market Solutions in the Western Balkans project funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). I am aware that this will facilitate the work of the Public Employment Service in Employment Agency while implementing the Government Emergency Fiscal Package in response to COVID-19 and provision of other employment services for registered jobseekers”.
“As the pandemic is slowing down, every day it is becoming more evident that we have a long battle to fight. Consequences are expected to be unprecedented. We need to think long-term on how to best help those who are going to pay the highest price of being left without a job, an income, a means to support one’s family. That is why UNDP is committed to supporting the Kosovo institutions deliver their services as effectively as possible during the pandemic. Particularly those hit the hardest - socially and economically - by the effects of the pandemic should receive the support they need. We are grateful to Austrian Government and ADC for the financial support and partnership that allows us to deliver this 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, on this occasion emphasized: “The donations confirm the Austrian Government's commitment to assist Kosovo in the fight against the pandemic”.
Donation to KEA includes: Laptops, Tablets, memory stick 16GB and Mobile Phone cards for the essential staff, to facilitate communication with clients during provision of their services and implementation of government emergency measures, as well as protective masks, gloves, hand sanitizers.
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
