{"id":24154,"date":"2024-08-26T14:34:48","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T14:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/?p=24154"},"modified":"2025-05-26T14:41:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T14:41:29","slug":"concerns-and-advocacy-for-transparency-on-the-beneficial-ownership-of-companies-providing-consultancy-to-the-albanian-government-in-strategic-sectors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/?p=24154&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Concerns and Advocacy for Transparency on the Beneficial Ownership of Companies Providing Consultancy to the Albanian Government in Strategic Sectors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Three civil society organizations, engaged in issues related to <strong>transparency, anti-corruption, good governance, and reporting on organized crime and corruption<\/strong>, namely:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>The Albanian Network for Reporting on Organized Crime and Corruption<\/strong>, with Executive Director Lindita \u00c7ela<\/li><li><strong>The Albanian Center for Economic Research (ACER)<\/strong>, with Executive Director Mr. Zef Pre\u00e7i<\/li><li><strong>The Albanian Institute of Science (AIS)<\/strong>, promoter of Open Data Albania, with Executive Director Aranita Brahaj<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>have raised concerns regarding a lack of transparency in consultancy agreements made by the <strong>Council of Ministers<\/strong> during 2024. Specifically, the government has signed <strong>three paid consultancy agreements<\/strong> with <strong>three foreign business entities<\/strong> to advise on strategic sectors. These contracts were awarded <strong>without competition<\/strong>, under a <strong>special provision of the public procurement law<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The three civil society organizations have <strong>advocated for transparency regarding the identity of the contractors<\/strong>, publicly requesting information about the <strong>nationality and the commercial register<\/strong> in which these companies were established, as well as <strong>their beneficial ownership<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Download the <a href=\"http:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/KERKESE-PER-INFORMIM-DHE-STANDARD-TRANSPARENCE-3-OJF-ANTIKORUPSION.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Formal Request<\/a> sent to the Prime Minister&#8217;s Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Albania, the public has the legal right to be informed about both <strong>direct and indirect ownership<\/strong> of companies operating and registered for business activity within its territory. However, <strong>existing regulations remain insufficient<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The identification and transparency of contractors engaged through <strong>direct negotiations, without open competition<\/strong>, is currently <strong>not regulated by law<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three institutions\u2014the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Justice, and the Port Authority\u2014have made the requested information available to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information, please refer to the company profiles (corporate passports) created based on the disclosed data:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Guernica 37 Chambers Ltd \u2013 <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/opencorporates.al\/en\/nipt\/10385112\" target=\"_blank\">Corporate Passport<\/a><br>\u2022 Roual Haskoning DHV \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/opencorporates.al\/sq\/nipt\/55525474\">Corporate Passport<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Decision No. 427, dated 26.06.2024<\/strong><br>On the Authorization of the Durr\u00ebs Port Authority to Directly Negotiate and Lawfully Conclude a Consultancy Agreement with an International Entity.<\/li><li><strong>Decision No. 402, dated 19.06.2024<\/strong><br>On the Authorization of the Minister of Justice to Directly Negotiate with the International Entity G37 Chambers for the Provision of Consultancy Services to Analyze and Assess Priority Recommendation Areas in the Fight Against Crime and to Develop a Methodology for the Evaluation and Continuous Monitoring of the Implementation of These Recommendations.<\/li><li><strong>Decision No. 327, dated 29.05.2024<\/strong><br>On the Authorization of the Minister of Justice and the Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption to Directly Negotiate with the International Entity Boston Consulting Group for the Provision of Consultancy Services to Identify Efficient Mechanisms to Further Promote the Fight Against Corruption and the Possibility of Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for This Purpose.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A <strong>legal amendment to the Law on Beneficial Ownership<\/strong> has also been proposed during the work of the <strong>Parliamentary Committee on Good Governance, Rule of Law, and Anti-Corruption Reforms<\/strong> (a committee established in July 2024).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Download the <a href=\"http:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AIS-addressed-to-Special-Parliamentary-Committee-on-Good-Governance-Rule-of-Law-and-Anti-Corruption-Reforms.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AIS Submission<\/a> to the Special Parliamentary Committee on Good Governance, Rule of Law, and Anti-Corruption Reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The committee has reviewed this proposal, and it is expected to be included in the final action plan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three civil society organizations, engaged in issues related to transparency, anti-corruption, good governance, and reporting on organized crime and corruption, namely: The Albanian Network for Reporting on Organized Crime and Corruption, with Executive Director Lindita \u00c7ela The Albanian Center for Economic Research (ACER), with Executive Director Mr. Zef Pre\u00e7i The Albanian Institute of Science (AIS), promoter of Open Data Albania, with Executive Director Aranita Brahaj&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24158,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ndiqparate.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-26-163749.png?fit=972%2C848&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":23502,"url":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/?p=23502&lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":24154,"position":0},"title":"Transparency with Beneficial Ownership: Issues of Legislation, Practice, and Empowerment of Actors Working for Transparency","date":"January 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"AIS, the promoter of Open Data Albania, is actively working to enhance transparency in Beneficial Ownership and the Public Access Registry. Recognizing the crucial role investigative journalists play in uncovering and tracking cases of money laundering, corruption, conflict of interest, and undue influence, AIS\u2019s team of experts and data analysts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;ODA in Press Releases&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ndiqparate.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG-20250125-WA0072-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":25229,"url":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/?p=25229&lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":24154,"position":1},"title":"Albania Joins OpenTender Europe: Big Data for Public Procurement (2010 - 2026)","date":"April 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Albanian Institute of Science (AIS) \/ Open Data Albania, in partnership with a European team of organizations and institutions working in the field of anti-corruption, is contributing to the assessment of public procurement in Albania according to European Union standards. OpenTender Europe, one of the best-known platforms in the European\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;ODA in Press Releases&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/ndiqparate.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot_30-4-2026_18242_opentender.eu_-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C444&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":25285,"url":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/?p=25285&lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":24154,"position":2},"title":"AIS Position on the Upcoming Rule of Law Report","date":"February 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The organization AIS wishes to express its concerns regarding several critical aspects of the rule of law in Albania, with a focus on the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) sector and legislation affecting Public Procurement, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and the privatization of state assets. 1. The SOE Sector as a High-Risk Area\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;ODA in Press Releases&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/ndiqparate.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-27-090928.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24593,"url":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/?p=24593&lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":24154,"position":3},"title":"Training for CSOs: Preventive Corruption Review, Based on the Methodology Adopted and Implemented in the Parliament of Albania","date":"October 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Albanian Center for Economic Research (ACER), in collaboration with AIS \/ Open Data Albania and with the support of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) Albania, organized today a training session for civil society representatives on Preventive Corruption Review, based on the methodology adopted and implemented in the Parliament\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;ODA in Press Releases&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/ndiqparate.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-10-04-at-09.35.23-6-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24426,"url":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/?p=24426&lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":24154,"position":4},"title":"Initiative for Transparency and Accountability in Legislation: ACER and AIS Train CSOs in Anti-Corruption Assessment of Draft Laws in Parliament","date":"July 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Albanian Center for Economic Research (ACER), in collaboration with AIS \/ Open Data Albania and with the support of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) in Albania, is implementing an initiative aimed at strengthening civil society engagement to enhance transparency and accountability throughout the legislative process in the Albanian\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;ODA in Press Releases&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ndiqparate.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/photo-collage-1.png-1-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24456,"url":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/?p=24456&lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":24154,"position":5},"title":"AIS and ACER express concern over the situation at the highest institution of the public procurement sector","date":"July 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The two non-governmental organizations engaged in anti-corruption issues, AIS and ACER, express concern about the current situation affecting the functioning and integrity of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), the highest state authority in the field of public procurement. The right of businesses to have access to an effective appeal mechanism\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;ODA in Press Releases&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/ndiqparate.al\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-04-19-at-16.16.18-1.jpeg?fit=800%2C556&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcJP0S-6hA","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24154"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24154"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24159,"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24154\/revisions\/24159"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndiqparate.al\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}