Deputy Minister of Finance Elton Haxhi resigned today, following publications in the media of a court verdict related to the Duty Free space operator at Tirana airport.
Haxhi, who was appointed deputy minister in October 2017, refused to comment on reasons for his resignation but said it was not related to the case.
The deputy minister signed the extension of a contract for the airport duty free space operator in August 2019, on behalf of Minister Anila Denaj. An internal audit later found that the Albanian company had failed to submit proper documentation, and it had lost the tender for operating the area to a US company, hence revoked its license. A court recently decided in favor of the Albanian company.
In a Facebook post, the US Embassy in Albania pointed to this case to show the need for reforms in attracting foreign investments in the country.
