Practical Information
Edit ThisArea - 640 km2
Altitude - ranges from 412 m to 2,000 m above sea level.
Climate- mellow Mediterranean climate in the lower regions.
Overview of infrastructure conditions:
5 km of concrete covered roads
132 km of gravel roads
211 km of country roads (dirt roads)
The Prishtina-Prizren railway line that currently runs with very low capacity
Poor electric power supply
Public utilities
This covers water supply, sewerage system, roads, bridges, waste management and disposal, electric power and environmental oversight. Prizren and the villages in its surroundings are supplied with drinking water by four natural springs as well as from the River Lumbardh. The accumulation and disposal of sanitation water is not treated properly, considering that these waters represent a major danger for the population since they go directly to river Lumbardh without being treated.
The Education system in Prizren consists of:
5 Secondary Schools
1 University
1,800 teachers and professors
37,664 - students
From 1980-1999, socially owned enterprises (SOEs) employed 80% of Prizren’s workforce. Currently, SOEs are operating under very difficult conditions. The only source of income for these enterprises is through leasing parts of the premises to the private sector. Presently, the municipal bodies have no authority to administer the SOEs. (From 2001 all SOEs are under UNMIK, starting from 2002 are under KTA (Kosova Trust Agency).
Agriculture
More than 50% of the population of Prizren lives in the rural areas. Thus, the agriculture sector remains one of the most important sources of employment and income. Prizren was well known in the former Yugoslavia for its fruits, vegetables and wine. In Prizren there are four dairy plants working with limited production capacities. Dairy products, especially fresh cheese known as “Sharr mountain cheese” is well known internationally. Wheat Production in Prizren for the year 2001 was 12,565 tons and 15,040 tons of maize was produced. Capacities for accumulation, placement and storage of the cereals are good. Twenty-five percent of Prizren’s land is arable with an irrigation system that covers 3,300 hectares of land. The irrigation system is served by three hydro-systems: Dukagjin (providing irrigation for 2,500 ha of land), Radoniq (400 ha) and a local irrigation system (LIS – 400 ha).
Agribusiness
Production of fruits and vegetables is growing, and offers great potential for establishing profitable businesses. Revitalization of the agribusiness capacities will rapidly generate employment and income.
‘Abi & Elif19’ is active in the food processing industry. This company is under a 10 years lease agreement by a private investor and so far the production and the sales have been very satisfactory.
Wine Production
Prizren has a long tradition of producing delicious wines. The Wine Processing Plant ‘Kosova Vera’ has processing capacities of up to 2,240 thousand liters, this company was established in 1952. Before the 1999 conflict this plant had 130 employees of which now only 75 remain. The social sector currently uses about 1070 ha whereas the private sector owns about 550 ha. The current production of wine including public and private sector is 2,430 tons.
Tourism
Numerous historical monuments make Prizren a very attractive location for foreign visitors as well as for visitors from within Kosova. Prizren’s cultural heritage attracts not only visitors from all over Kosova but it offers possibilities for the development of tourism and for the preservation of ancient craftwork traditional skills. Taking this into account, various donor initiatives are focused on preserving the production of traditional crafts such as embroidery, carpets, jewelry etc. by assisting locals to establish private businesses in these areas.
The Private Sector and Business Community
The private sector is showing signs of growth. The office of business registration shows that as of March 2003, some 5,000 businesses are registered with this office. The table overleaf shows the number of business based on their type of activity. The overwhelming numbers are import-export enterprises.
Of the roughly 5,000 registered businesses in Prizren there are 629 production centers (including artisan goods), 357 service providers, 464 businesses related to tourism and other services, 325 transportation-related businesses and 2,254 businesses related to merchant activities etc. The SME sector is facing many obstacles and difficulties and lack of support from the central and local government. The authorities should focus their efforts and programs towards: removing the current obstacles in SME development, establishing a favorable business environment, capacity building and trainings. These programs should support and cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit of the Prizreni population, which is a well-known region for centuries for its tradition in trade.
The establishment of an industrial and trade zone where businesses can set up their processing and production operations as well as advertise their products in trade centers and fairs would help to create a more suitable environment for the local business community and attract foreign investments.
Business Associations
The business community in Prizren is active and has a long tradition of engaging in a meaningful manner in the matters pertaining to municipal economic development. The following organizations and associations are currently active in Prizren:
ESNAF business Association
Association of Artisans (Business Association)
Prizren’s Businessmen Club established in 1991 (Business Association)
Regional Chamber of Commerce
20 professional NGOs active in the area of local economic development.
Official employment data in Prizren municipality are not available. The following figures are estimations based on the scarce data available at the municipality Employment Office.
Employed:
Approx. 21,499
Private sector12,271
SOE Sector: 4,341
Public Sector: 4,787
Man: 84.7% Full time: 10,350
Women: 15.3% Part time: 200
Agriculture : 12,000
Employed Abroad: 11,000
Unemployed
Estimated Total: 32,700
Registered Unemployed: 18,994
