The construction sector is doing very well in Albania. This is in essence what the latest data released by the National Statistics Institute (INSTAT) indicate. The number of permits granted in the first half of 2017 shows an increase of 82% compared to the same period in the last year.
This strong growth is observed in the cities of Tirana, Vlora, Dibra, Elbasan, Gjirokastra, Korça, and Fier, while the trend is opposite in Berat, Lezha, or Kukës. These authorizations relate to 75% of residential buildings.
The pace is particularly strong in the capital, as the number of permits allocated at the beginning of the year has jumped by 183%, three times more than in 2016. These new construction projects are part of the new urban plan for the expansion of the city, the project Tirana 2030. Thus the inhabitants of the Albanian capital should soon see large residential blocks and a tower more than 35 floors rise from the ground. Many of these new construction project benefit from financing and a favorable taxation of the municipality which has directed a large part of its budget toward the sector.
During the 2015 election campaign, Mayor Erion Veliaj wanted to differentiate himself from his predecessors, promising to end the granting of building permits in a clientelist manner. According to Monitor magazine, construction sector taxes account for over 50% of the city’s total budget for the first quarter of 2017, an increase of 2.3% compared to the same period in 2015.
This record number of new building sites gets far from unanimous support from the inhabitants. Beyond the recurring accusations of corruption and the lack of transparency that surround many of these projects, many citizens of the capital worry about the disappearance of the few green spaces allowing Tirana to breathe. This summer, demonstrations against the privatization of a park of Rruga e Kavajës were held, suppressed by the police. Today, it is the turn of the great park of Tirana to be threatened.
First published in French by the Courrier des Balkans. Translated and published by Exit with permission.
