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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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,…
“The nostalgia to buy water, allegedly taken at the source, is false. The water supply that has been chlorinated, the institutions that produce it tell us that it is the correct water that should be used,” said Veliaj in 2019. This statement was made by the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj about two years ago. But what he says is only for those who believe…
22.8 percent of tenders in the municipality of Tirana are considered suspicious. Open Data has set 610 procedures with a red flag, due to lack of competition or disqualification of competitors leaving only the winner in the race. In 4 years in the municipality of Tirana, Open Data has ranked 22.8 percent of problem tenders. The portal, which aims to make transparency over the procedures…
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…
For 2022, 822 public investments are planned, which will be financed from the state budget. This is what “Open Data Albania” says, while adding that their total value is 493 billion ALL. While 141 other investments are with foreign financing, with a total value of ALL 370.3 billion. The new foreign-financed investments are mainly projects of the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment…
