Newsroom
Electricity cut to Media House in Kosovo
PRISTINA 28 July 2000
PRISTINA, 28 July 2000 - Following several warnings from the Electricity Company of Kosovo (KEK), the lights went out this afternoon at the Pristina-based "Media House" for non-payment of outstanding bills. The OSCE regrets this development. Despite a compromise agreement reached on 14 July aimed at resolving the issue, 21 out of 43 tenants have not paid any bills at all.
On 14 July, OSCE Head of Mission, Ambassador Daan Everts, met with the tenants of "Media House" in order to broker a compromise for the payment of the outstanding electricity bills which amount to 153,000 DEM. It was agreed the tenants would pay at least half of their outstanding electricity bills by 24 July and their rent by 1 October.
Up until today, however, only 11 tenants paid their bills in full, among them four media outlets. A further 11 tenants have made a partial payment while 21 have not paid at all.
The OSCE regrets that a basic requirement, like paying utility bills, can meet with such resistance and potentially put the "Media House" project in jeopardy. It is especially regretful for those media outlets, which have fully paid their bills. They are Bota Sot, Kosova Sot, Pasqyra and Radio 21.
The OSCE initiated the "Media House" project in order to create a common venue for all independent media in Kosovo, which needed working space for their productions.
For further information, contact OSCE Spokesperson Roland Bless, Tel: (+381-38) 500-162 or satphone: 871-762-009-948 ext. 260 / mobile: (+389-70) 250-576 / email: press@omik.org ; //www.osce.org/kosovo/
On 14 July, OSCE Head of Mission, Ambassador Daan Everts, met with the tenants of "Media House" in order to broker a compromise for the payment of the outstanding electricity bills which amount to 153,000 DEM. It was agreed the tenants would pay at least half of their outstanding electricity bills by 24 July and their rent by 1 October.
Up until today, however, only 11 tenants paid their bills in full, among them four media outlets. A further 11 tenants have made a partial payment while 21 have not paid at all.
The OSCE regrets that a basic requirement, like paying utility bills, can meet with such resistance and potentially put the "Media House" project in jeopardy. It is especially regretful for those media outlets, which have fully paid their bills. They are Bota Sot, Kosova Sot, Pasqyra and Radio 21.
The OSCE initiated the "Media House" project in order to create a common venue for all independent media in Kosovo, which needed working space for their productions.
For further information, contact OSCE Spokesperson Roland Bless, Tel: (+381-38) 500-162 or satphone: 871-762-009-948 ext. 260 / mobile: (+389-70) 250-576 / email: press@omik.org ; //www.osce.org/kosovo/