ODA In Media

Programme FactCheck: 40 percent of concession contracts in Albania connected to offshore companies SCAN TV News Program: The Government’s decision on the creation of the Central Purchasing Agency, AIS: Incompatible with the Law SCAN TV News Program: Tenders are being Procured via Special Laws, AIS Director: High Risk Tendering and Contractors with Unknown Final Owners TopChannel News: AI Procurement. Reservations on the new Law passed…

AIS organization, in the media for Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2023.

Dear Friends,  The Director of the AIS/OpenData Organization received an invitation from A2 CNN Albania to comment on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2023, which was officially released on January 30.  During her appearance on “Ditari i Lajmeve” (The News Diary), Ms. Brahaj highlighted that despite Albania received one-point increase in the evaluation for this year, the country remains stagnant in terms of anti-corruption…

Started – February, Month of Civil Engagement for EU Integration

AIS / Open Data Albania presented a Policy Paper on Integrity Control of Public Contractors, EU practice and the Albanian Context Aranita Brahaj, the head of the Organization, emphasized that many companies in the country that have acquired the status of Contractor in Public Procurement; Investor in State Assets or Public Licenses in Strategic sectors, are Shell or Offshore companies with unidentified beneficial owners, located…

Reporter.al/ The major beneficiaries of the Reconstruction program

Companies linked to Socialist Party officials and a handful of businesses known for winning concessions or licenses are among the biggest beneficiaries of Reconstruction tenders, while work is dragging on beyond schedule. It’s 12:00 on a sunny March day and Evelina Zguro takes advantage of her lunch break to take a look at the pit, upon which her apartment building has just started to be…

The German media ‘flogs’ Rama’s government: Problems with corruption, justice, freedom of the press and still ready for the EU?

Albania celebrated a historic moment after almost three decades: in 2003, Tirana submitted its application for membership. In the days following the announcement, a larger-than-life EU flag adorned the government building in Tirana’s Skënderberg Square. EU affinity is high in the country with 2.8 million inhabitants. According to the Balkan Public Barometer, 89 percent of Albanians evaluate EU membership as positive. In conversations with locals, proximity to the…

Albaniandailynews.com/ Problems with corruption, justice, freedom of the press – Ready for the EU?

 The Western Balkans are also strategically important for the EU, as they form the land bridge between NATO’s southeastern flank and Central Europe. However, it is becoming clear that, regardless of the current moment, there are still a number of challenges standing in the way of EU enlargement in the Western Balkans. This is evident in Albania.  Albania celebrated a historic moment after almost three decades: in…

Voxnews.al/ German newspaper: Albania, problems with corruption, justice and freedom of the press

In recent years, a reform in justice and the introduction of the so-called Special Structure against Corruption – SPAK as a special independent prosecutor, has advanced efforts in the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking. “We have made extraordinary progress in the field of the rule of law and in the fight against corruption,” said Christiane Hohmann, the ambassador of the EU delegation in…

Politiko.al/ The government plans 22 projects in the field of technology, which are the 10 investments with the highest cost

The Albanian government has planned 22 projects in the field of Information Technology ICT, with funding from the State Budget for the period 2022-2024. “Open Data Albania” shows that the value of investments in technology reaches the figure of 9.95 billion ALL. These projects are mainly related to the improvement of hardware and software infrastructure, construction of systems and ICT infrastructure; optimization of security infrastructures, etc. Of…

Politiko.al/ 10 billion lek to face the crisis, How Rama predicted to provide the money, unlike the governments in the world

The government has increased spending by 10 billion lek or 1.8% more than planned to cope with the crisis. The Normative Act adopted on March 12 does not provide for a deepening of the budget deficit, as the increase in expenditures is expected to be covered by an increase in revenues from Taxes and Customs. The paradox is the fact that the Albanian government may…

Politiko.al/ Over 1.9 million insured doses, the cost of vaccines purchased by Albania; which type of vaccine dominates

In Albania, the first anti-Covid vaccines arrived earlier this year and so far over 1.9 doses have been provided. Our country has administered four types of vaccines, Pfizer, Astazeneca, Sinovac, Sputnik V. According to the data of “Open Data Albania” , the cost of vaccines purchased by Albania is 3.42 billion ALL. Earlier, the government did not provide details on contracts for the purchase of vaccines on the…

Politiko.al/ The list of 100 tenders with the highest value during 2021 emerges, which tops the ranking

The list of 100 tenders with the highest value that have been developed during 2021 has been published. The list issued by “Open Data Albania” shows that the tender with the highest value announced and finalized by public authorities in the country during 2021 is the construction of the Llogara Tunnel in the road section Orikum-Himara part of the highway Vlora – Saranda. This tender…

Politiko.al/ “There are no oligarchs in Albania”, Brahaj reacts after Rama’s statement: These are the cases that prove the opposite

The leader of “Open Data” Aranita Brahaj reacted after the statement of Prime Minister Edi Rama that ‘there is no oligarch who influences the government’. Through opposes the Prime Minister citing some concrete examples. Brahaj posted on Facebook, some data, claiming the opposite of what Rama declares. The following are some of the cases identified by the director of “Open Data”:  • We also have companies…

Politiko.al/ 45.5 billion ALL for PPPs in Health, how much will the concession contracts for 2022 cost the state budget

About ALL 45.5 billion have been allocated to the state budget for PPP concession contracts in Health. For the period 2015 to 2021, payments from the state have been made in the amount of 17.3 billion ALL, while for the next years a total of 28.2 billion ALL remains to be paid. The data of Open Data Albania show that the total investment of the state on PPPs…

Politiko.al/ BIRN investigation: Reconstruction, ‘golden egg’ for companies affiliated with SP officials, benefited about 660 million ALL

The data provided by BIRN through the analysis of over 700 procurement procedures announced by the Albanian Development Fund and the 10 affected municipalities show that the major beneficiaries of the reconstruction process are companies affiliated with Socialist Party officials, previous winners of concessions or licenses or companies with questionable funding. At the top of the list is the company “Kevin Construction” owned by Lavdrim…

Decay of Health sector, AIS uncovers: 89% of the funds tendered during the Pandemic, were awarded without race and in lack of competition

Decay of the Health Sector – was the title of the Reportage, produced by Top Story and broadcast on March 9, the date that officially marked two years since the first case with Sars Covid-19 in Albania. In it, journalist Entela Bajramaj and the editorial staff of the program, brought to light facts about the implementation of Public Private Partnership (PPP) Contracting during the Pandemic,…