On World Consumer Day, concerns were raised about the continued increase in prices in Kosovo, the lack of control in the market, and the numerous complaints of citizens about the cost of living.
Civil society representatives and citizens say that consumers are facing unstable prices and difficulty meeting daily expenses.
The President of the "Consumer" Association, Selatin Kaçaniku, told KosovaPress that the level of information and awareness of consumers in the country also depends on the fulfillment of the obligations that institutions have towards them.
He asked the Government to have a ministry of consumer protection.
"We are so informed, so educated that the government fulfills its mandate, which is also this information, education, training and the creation of conditions for achieving and raising the cultural level, consumer in continuity, as well as awareness so that in this regard we are also partners of the state. MINT has within it the Department of Consumer Protection, but this department is in conflict of interest, because it is located where the businesses against which we often have complaints are. There should be a Minister of Consumer Protection, or within MINT, the deputy minister should be someone from the civil society of consumers with the right to veto all decisions that harm the citizen consumer", said Kaçanik.
He emphasized that one of the main problems remains the pricing policy and uncontrolled imports, for which he says there are many complaints from citizens.
Kaçanik demands that the relevant institutions not evade their obligations towards consumer citizens.
"We look at the price policy very simply, but in reality it is a real offender. Uncontrolled imports, I have requested from the Government that in all embassies where we have developed trade, we have trade representatives, consultants who will monitor this sector, but this has not happened. We have many complaints about the quality, quantity, price of imports. Every imported product should be cheaper than in the country of origin. We have the opposite, the highest prices, the lowest quality and quantity, we have many problems that we must take seriously. The Government should not evade its obligations towards us", he added.
Meanwhile, citizens consider that frequent price changes and the lack of regulation in the market are increasingly burdening them.
Citizen Mustafa Ahmeti said that prices often change from one day to the next and that there is not enough control over businesses.
"We are informed, but they are not adhering to the rules at all. Today you have one price, tomorrow double, there is no price regulation at all and for the consumer it is the worst. You have nowhere to turn, today you punish, tomorrow it continues like that. There is no regulation in the market, every market, none of them has the same items, wherever you go you see 100 percent changes, within a day they change the price.. Total abuse, all the companies operating in Kosovo have found meadows and are grazing them", he said.
Citizen Nezir Haxholli also expressed that the price increase has become unaffordable for many families, especially pensioners and citizens with low incomes.
"They are nowhere in line with the articles, there is no income, a pension of 150 euros, what can we do with them, they are increasing electricity and everything. Not high, but they have increased it over our heads, someone feels the poverty very much. First, gasoline is over 1.55 euros, from gasoline onwards everything is increasing. It has had an impact, it is number one", said Haxholli.
According to official data, in some months of 2025, annual inflation in Kosovo was around 4–5 percent. In October 2025, consumer prices were on average 5.1 percent higher than in October 2024, while in November 2025 the average increase was around 5.3 percent compared to a year earlier.
The products that became most expensive during 2025, according to data from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS), are electricity by up to 15–20 percent in some periods, fruit by over 15–16 percent, coffee, tea and cocoa by around 13–17 percent, meat by around 12–13 percent, and milk, cheese and eggs by over 7–10 percent.
While, in February 2026, annual inflation reached around 6 percent, the monthly increase was around 0.6 percent, marking the highest level of price increase since 2023. /kp/
