About Kosovo

Country’s Official Name	Republic of Kosovo
Land Area	10,908 km²
Population	1,8 million
Capital	Prishtina (population 200,000)
Land destination	53 % agriculture 41 % forest 1% water 5% other (infrastructure and urban areas)
Main ethnic groups	90 % Albanian, 5 % Serbs 2 % Bosnian and Goran 2 % RAI and 1 % Turks
Categorization	42 % urban, 58 % rural
Diaspora	More than 800,000 of the population lives out of the country
Languages	Albanian, Serbian, English Albanian and Serbian are official languages, while English language is spoken widely. German language is spoken a lot.
Legislation	On the 17^th of February 2008 Kosovo declared its independence, becoming the latest state to emerge following the disintegration of Yugoslavia. The declaration of independence established Kosovo as a democratic, secular and multi-ethnic Republic promoting the rights of all communities. In April 2008 the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo adopted the country’s constitution, which entered into force in June 2008. Kosovo’s legal system has been continuously re-built since 1999. Legislation in power includes: Legislation and Regulations issued by Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo The regulations promulgated by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General during the United Nations Interims Mission in Kosovo; The law in force in Kosovo on the 22^nd of March, 1989 Every law is available also in English, Albanian, Serbian and can be found in electronic form published at the Official Gazzete: https://gzk.rks-gov.net/
Currency	Euro (€)
GDP (2015)	Average growth 4.1% Source: Kosovo’s Statistic Agency
GDP per capita (2015)	3,277 .00 EURO Source: Kosovo’s Statistic Agency
Financial Sector	Two tier banking system consisting of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo, 10 private Banks, 15 Insurance companies, 2 pension systems (public and private), 18 micro finance institutions.
Enterprises	Over 40,000 SMEs were active in 2015, app. 50 % of these were engaged in trade and industry. The number of SOEs in PAK’s portfolio is 589, out of which 406 SOEs were partially privatized, resulting in the sale of 763 new companies and 451 assets sold through liquidation sales.
Budget	App. 1.684 milliard in 2016
Tariff Duties	10 % customs duties on imports; No duties on capital and intermediary goods, or selective raw materials; Excise tax on fuel, tobacco alcohol and luxury goods; 0% taxes on exports
Tax System	VAT of 8% is applied for basic products ( food and daily baskets) and 18% for other products; Corporate Profit Tax 10 %; Tax on dividends 0% Personal Income Tax progressive (max. 10%)
Free Trade	Stabilization and Association Agreement – MSA with EU Central European Free Trade Agreement – CEFTA Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) with US, Japan, and Norway Free Trade Agreement with Turkey (waiting to be ratified by Kosovo)
Labor Market	The Kosovo advantages is due to operation law cost of labor market. Net monthly salary is between 300 and 400 euros. Source: Kosovo’s Statistic Agency
Geographical Location	Kosovo is located in the heart of Balkans, and it borders with Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia
Communication	Kosovo has a well-developed telecommunications system. There are 328 pay phones located within the public areas and within the post offices. Kosovo’s GSM providers are Vala, IPKO, D3 and Z-Mobile, and roaming is offered by the majority of international telephone service providers. For longer stays in Kosovo, purchasing a local pre-paid number is recommended. Around of 74% of family economy are covered by internet services. Source: Regulatory Authority of Electronic and Postal Communications
Health Care	There are six regional hospitals situated in the Kosovo’s major towns. Furthermore, these are supported by health centers in each of the country’s 38 municipalities. Apart from the Public Health System, there are numerous private hospitals. Well-equipped pharmacies may be found in every town throughout Kosovo, some of which are open 24 hours.
Time Zone	Central European Time (GMT+1)