Today, EC Ma Ndryshe has published the analysis “Millions spent for closed monuments” which assesses the impact and the benefits of multimillion investments on monuments of cultural heritage in Prizren and on the infrastructure of the city’s Historical Centre. Results of this research are discouraging, for the fact that millions invested over the last decade to 10 monuments of cultural heritage have produced only the reality of closed doors for local and foreign visitors, with a zero economic impact for the city and almost no tangible benefit for the community.

The international community, the Government of Kosovo and the Municipality of Prizren, in the last decade have spent near 3 million euro in restoration/conservation projects in these monuments. Based on the monitoring of activities in these monuments, majority of them have their doors closed to the public, or are not being used for the intended purpose, according to the allocated funds for interventions. Expressed in figures, doors of these monuments have been closed for 300 to 350 months. So far, the amount of generated incomes by the eventual economic activity in these monuments is 0 euro, while only 1 of them has management plan, namely the Gazi Mehmed Pasha Turkish Bath (hammam).

All these findings indicate that the local and central government, regardless of setting in their strategic plans cultural heritage and tourism as important development pillars, in reality, however, they do not have idea or plans on how to concretely implement this, in function of real economic profitability. Consequently, high amounts of budget funds are being spent and are not returned as doubled benefit for the taxpayers. The existence of only one management plan from 10 cultural heritage objects is sufficient proof of this.

In this regard, the non-functioning practices of monuments can be discouraging for international donors. Therefore, in this point the donors itself should condition their support to restoration and conservation projects, with the existence of management plans for cultural heritage monuments.
 

Read the brief analysis here (AL - ENG). Find the infographic here.