For ten months now, the citizens of Strpce have been unsuccessfully trying to prevent the construction of mini hydroelectric power plants in this municipality. They are still not giving up on what can only be described as a quixotic fight. They were able to temporarily halt the construction in Bitinja today, given that the works were being carried out on privately owned parcels of land – Strpce resident, Radoica Mrdjinac told KoSSev.

Internally displaced persons living in collective centres in Brezovica are without electricity for two weeks, Milan Janjic confirmed to KIM Radio, adding there are no indications electricity supply would be restored any time soon.

Electricity was cut off to the four collective centres two weeks ago, over unpaid electricity invoices.

Milan Janjic internally displaced person from Urosevac recalled that Strpce Municipality together with the Ministry for Communities and Returns were trying to find a solution, but apart from the media no one came to visit them.

Ministry for Communities and Returns together with Strpce Municipality did not manage to reach a compromise with the KEDS company to reconnect the electricity supply to collective centres in Brezovica, Serbian media reported.

The Ministry said in a press release that efforts to resolve the issue did not yield results, and it was said during the meeting with KEDS representatives that electricity will not be connected until tenants in collective centres pay debts from 2015 and onwards.

Collective centres in Brezovica are without electricity for six days. There are more than 200 internally displaced persons living in four collective centres, including 20 children, Radio kontakt plus reported.

The electricity was cut off over debts made 10 years ago. The Ministry for Communities and Returns told Radio kontakt plus they are working on resolving the issue, however, the problem is that KEDS (electricity supplier) is a private company.

The electricity in collective centres in Brezovica was cut off over unpaid debts from 10 years ago, KIM Radio reported.

There are around 300 displaced persons living in the four collective centres in Brezovica.

Milan Janjic, displaced person from Urosevac told RTV KIM the electricity was cut off this morning around 9.00.

Every month Commissariat is paying for one portion, while we pay the exceeding portion. Now they talk about some debts from 10 years ago and that is why they cut off the electricity,” Janjic said.

Kosovo Government has annulled a decision on “nationalization” of Brezovica as the project failed, Kontakt plus radio reported.

The government annulled the decision on expropriation of immovable property for public interest, which were subject of tourist center in Brezovica project’s implementation, since this project has failed, press statement of the Kosovo Government said.

Collective centers in Brezovica, placed in the hotel Lahor Junior, the so called SUP Villa and Electro Kosovo, in which displaced Serbs from Kosovo live, are without electricity since Monday, Roksanda Jevtić, one of the displaced persons stated to KosSev portal.

Inhabitants include a number of old and helpless people, children as well as secondary school students.

After the failure of the capital project of the French-Andorran consortium about investments in Brezovica, Kosovo Government announced plan B for this tourist and recreational complex. Minister of Trade and Industry Hykmete Bajrami says that the Government is currently considering two options for Brezovica: "First, the Law on strategic investment (if passed by Parliament in the near future) will enable direct negotiations with a number of companies that are interested in the project.

Ljubomir Marić, Minister of Local Self-Government, said that today was the deadline for the French-Andorran consortium to submit the necessary bank guarantees for the previously signed contract for the construction of ski centre in Brezovica.

Under the contract, the consortium MDP Consulting should provide 163 million euros to build a new ski centre in Brezovica.

Tuesday is the last day for French consortium ‘MDP Consulting - Compagnie des Alpes’ to confirm that it managed to provide EUR 163 million, the amount the company has obliged to invest in the first phase of the construction of the new ski center in Brezovica.

Guarantees about the said amount should be submitted to the Kosovo Ministry for Trade and Industry, which has already postponed the deadline for submission of the financial guarantees due to company’s failure to provide financial guarantees.