The Government of Kosovo has approved the draft budget for the year 2027, in the amount of 4.27 billion euros, predicting an increase in salaries in the public sector, higher allowances for children and pensions, the 13th salary, as well as more funds for the legal protection of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army in The Hague.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced that the draft budget is 200 million euros higher than the revised budget for 2026. The document will be forwarded to the Assembly for review and approval.
During the Government meeting, on November 2, Kurti stated that the economy is growing and employment is increasing. He referred to the data for the first two quarters of the year, where economic growth was 5.4 and 5.1 percent, respectively.
According to him, one of the main characteristics of the new budget will be capital investments, for which an amount of over 1 billion euros has been foreseen for the first time. This category includes large infrastructure projects, among them the outer ring of Pristina, the Duhël-Banulë segment, the Dukagjin highway, as well as the expansion and rehabilitation of other regional and national roads.
The draft budget envisages the increase of child allowances in four stages, by 25 percent each year, starting from January 2027. According to the plan presented by Kurti, the process will end in 2030, when the allowances will have doubled.
The Prime Minister brought as an example a family with two children, which from January will benefit from a total of 75 euros per month.
Another anticipated measure is the increase in the salary coefficient, which according to Kurti will bring an additional 120 euros for employees, as well as the granting of the 13th salary.
“In the first part of the year, it is the 13th salary, while in the second part the salary increase for all employees. This brings the salary budget to 1 billion and 85 million euros, and when it is proportional to about 85 thousand public servants, the average gross salary is over 12 thousand euros (per year), or over 1 thousand gross euros per month”, said Kurti.
Public sector employees benefited from the 13th salary in March of this year. Those with at least one year of work experience received a full salary, while for employees with less than one year, the payment was calculated proportionally.
In the draft budget of 2027, the increase in funds for the defense teams of former president Hashim Thaçi, former parliamentarians Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi and former deputy Rexhep Selimi, who are located in The Hague, is also foreseen.
The four former leaders of the KLA were sentenced in the first instance for war crimes on September 16. The Government of Kosovo has pledged to support efforts to challenge the decision at the Appeal stage.
For this purpose, a working group has been created, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Glauk Konjufca, where representatives of political parties participate. Kurti said that the Government expects the group to draw up a strategy, which will determine the next steps of support.
The Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, announced that the draft budget also foresees an increase in funds for essential medicines. This is one of the reasons that the budget for goods and services is planned at 586 million euros.
Meanwhile, 1 billion and 446 million euros have been allocated for the category of subsidies and transfers. According to Murat, this category marks an increase of 6.5 percent and includes allowances for children, as well as the increase in pensions, including the basic pension.
Another project included in the budget is the establishment of Kosovo’s first airline. However, civil aviation experts have previously raised questions about the viability of a state-owned company, citing high costs and international competition.
