USAID’s Partnerships for Development is a four-year program, aimed at supporting reforms for improving the business environment in Kosovo and increasing employment opportunities. The program works in partnership with the government and other partners to support the achievement of Kosovo’s vision for economic growth and strengthening of institutions.

Through its three core components listed below, the program works to further extend and consolidate reforms and achievements made with previous USAID support: 

• Improved business environment through supporting coordination of development policies, strengthening of public private dialogue, implementation of “Doing Business” (DB) reforms, improving the legal drafting process, and supporting targeted reforms related with permits and licenses;
• Enhanced construction and spatial planning reforms, and support to implementation of the unpermitted constructions treatment program, and
• Enhanced macro-economic stability and public financial management at the central and local levels of the government, through support to strengthen macro-economic policy, tax policy and administration, and budget planning and execution.

Key achievements to date:

• Kosovo improved its overall ranking in the World Bank DB Report from 81^st in 2014 to 60th in 2017. In Starting a Business, Kosovo improved from 100^th to the 13^th, in Paying Taxes, from 58^th to 43^rd and in Trading Across Borders, from 117^th to 51^st;
• The Government of Kosovo’s fiscal position improved, with a much lower level of budget deficit, contained recurrent spending, and accumulated ample fiscal reserves;
• First phase of legalization successfully completed, with over 350,000 unpermitted constructions registered in the Registry at the local and central level;
• The Government of Kosovo successfully implement the Stand By-Arrangement program with International Monetary Fund, resulting in a disbursement of financing of over 170 million EUR for the general state budget;
• Official Gazette website usage tripled during the Project’s implementation reaching close to 300,000 visits in 2016 and specially designed mobile applications were created to further increase usage;
• A One Stop Shop for construction permitting established in Pristina municipality, providing a single window for getting construction, utility approvals and other consents.

Partner: Chemonics International 

Geographic Target: Kosovo

Project Duration: January 2014 – Sept. 2018

USAID Contact: Dardane Peja