Forty thousand residents and businesses in the areas of Spitalle and Durres i Ri (former marshland) will not suffer any longer the lack of power supply due to the extremely worn network, frequent technical failures and low voltage levels in the network. With an investment of 6.5 million dollars, interventions have been made in the existing network after 50 years of non-existing investments, and two new 20kV feeders have been built in Spitallë-Durres, in addition to a new 20kV network in the former marshland area. Prime Minister Edi Rama was today in Spitallë to look closely at the results of this investment.
Works in this area have been completed for the 130 kilometre medium voltage line (20 kV) and ABC, in addition to arranging the existing network and building 36 new cabins and 2000 poles. The new network, built in the form of loops, will ensure ongoing supply of electricity, will prevent heavy tension fluctuations that have often caused damage to equipment, and will also reduce network losses, which for 2016 are envisaged to be reduced to 20%.
One of the residents of the area, known as one of the country’s informal areas where no investments have been made in over 20 years, showed the severe situation of energy supply. “This is unprecedented investment. We haven’t had electricity for 20 years here. When it was raining, we had to call home and ask if there was electricity. This is a colossal investment. Now we have electricity after 20 years of darkness. I remember when you came in the Palce of Sports. There were some 2 or 3 people who were great fans of Sali’s. I asked them: “are you coming?” He replied: “I didn’t vote for him, but I will come for we have electricity now. I will be there just for what he has done for electricity”.
In this area as well, investments have been made by OSHEE thanks also to an increased awareness of the residents to pay for electricity. This money is now being returned to people in the form of investments in the network. Compared to 2013, collections have increased almost 4 times. Many other investments are in process in Duress, and they are very important in view of enhancing the distribution network in the coming 30 years. “We will start within this year the construction of the new substation of Shkozet, because the existing 40-year old substation cannot meet the needs of the city of Durres for the next 30 years. The money the people are paying by responding to the call of the government and the company to pay the electricity they use, is turning back to them in the form of efficient investments”, OSHEE director noted.
An old man appreciated this investment in a particular way: “Thank you for this investment you have made here. It seemed a bit bitter, but as people say, bitterness ends in joy. And this light you brought us has given light to our eyes.”
“It is true that we paid our dues, and this was the bitter part, but thank God, we thank the government that turned out money into investments. We are super happy with this”, another resident said.
The Prime Minister noted that the increased public support, along with the formalization of the sector, is being translated in an increased service quality. “These big investments that are being made, especially in tough areas, are the results of the awareness that if you don’t pay for electricity, you cannot be delivered a proper service either in terms of electricity, or in terms of bills, counters, etc. And precisely because debts began to be paid regularly in this area, this investment is being made to end the issues of power supply across the area”, the Prime Minister noted.
Meanwhile, subscribers of the area have been provided with electricity metres, while they are still being installed in the city of Durres. 6500 of them have been already installed, while another 1400 will be installed by the end of June. The prime Minister informed also that the flat rate will be eliminated soon, an inherited problem that has been a major burden for citizens. “We will keep another very important promise of ours, which is that the flat rate will be eliminated by the end of June. No more flat rates, which are a big inherited problem, because there were some dishonest people who took advantage of the honest ones. They took advantage of the government, the government took advantage of them, and all this became trash. What is happening now is a big turn. Of course, there is still a lot to do, we are very far from our destination, precisely because we have been taking advantage of one another for over 20 years.”
