Gucati accuses the government of not including it in the budget: Five years without a single cent for associations that emerged from the war
Associations emerging from the war are not included in the 2026 draft budget.
This was stated by the chairman of OVL-UCK, Hysni Gucati, for Ekonomia Online, accusing the government of not allocating any funds to organizations of veterans, invalids and families of martyrs for more than four consecutive years.
In addition to the lack of funds, he said that treatment and rehabilitation abroad for members of these associations have also been banned. Ekonomia Online has sent questions to the Ministry of Finance regarding this, but has not received a response.
He said that in more than the last five years, these associations have not received any financial support and are surviving only with the help of their membership and people of good will.
"The association that emerged from the war, not only the veterans' organization, but also the association of invalids and martyrs, based on accurate information, for the 2026 budget has not included us in the budget at all. Not only this year, but for five years, the outgoing government or the incumbent government of Albin Kurti for five years have not given even a single cent to the association that emerged from the war. We had a budget of 48 thousand euros that every government has allocated for us. For five years, this government has not allocated a single cent, we survive with membership and with people of good will who help us," he said.
Gucati added that the government has also banned treatment abroad and the rehabilitation of disabled people and veterans.
"This government is making a lot of mistakes, it has also stopped us from receiving funds, this government does not send anyone abroad for treatment. This government has not even sent the rehabilitation that we had in the healing spa, no invalid, no veteran, no family of a martyr has this government sent to the spa to this day. What is worse is that it has stopped everything, the worst is that it has stopped us from receiving treatment, because we invalids have it by law. The Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Health are obliged to send us abroad to receive treatment if we need it, with a commission, of course, from the CKU. Let this government come out and say three invalids that it has sent abroad to receive treatment, a veteran, a martyr's mother or a father, not to this day. This government does not know what it is thinking, it should know that it came to power today with their blood, not only this one but all governments," he said.
Gucati requested from the executive branch the inclusion of the three associations in the 2026 budget and the restoration of funds for the organizations' basic expenses.
"Today the government does not turn its back on us, never in its 5 years has it given a single lek to the associations of the disabled, nor to the martyrs, nor to one. So I had called on the government to include us in the 2026 budget, to allocate funds for three associations that emerged from the war. We are not asking for luxury, but only to cover our expenses that are spent by the organization that emerged from the war: electricity, water, flags in the cemeteries of the martyrs, the expenses of the journey that we have abroad. These are what we are asking for, we do not ask for anything more, nor do we ask for salaries, only these with a project that we do, with a plan that we submit, and that was a lot of 48 thousand euros in advance, and yet this year it has not included it in the budget for 2026," he said.
He said that the situation of veterans and disabled people is difficult, not only materially, but also health-wise and mentally.
"Their condition is not good, both materially, and health-wise, and I believe mentally, because we need them. I need them to go to a psychologist and psychiatrist, this government has not taken care of these things either, we do not have them from this government to do rehabilitation. First of all, the health situation is not good, we have many disabled people, many veterans who need to go abroad for treatment. We do not pay five euros in the CKU itself, we are only exempt there, we have to buy everything else. This is a great shame of this government that has banned these. We have many of our friends who have been refused treatment abroad, this government has not sent them to be treated. Now it has started with some prostheses, once about 40 people who have started to change their limb prostheses, for five years, they need to change their prostheses every year or every two years. Now they have also started with the help of Qatar, the president has made an agreement, Vjosa Osmani has made an agreement with Qatar. Our state has an obligation, the law obliges, the constitution obliges, that we have rehabilitation or treatment abroad. It is legally obliged that these categories 100 percent is the disabled, 70 percent is the veteran and 70 percent is the family of the martyr, that the government or the relevant ministry cover the costs of treatment abroad", he said.
