Construction work has begun to build the new “Kastrioti” school building and the integrated kindergarten in the town of Fushe-Kruje as part of Albania’s post-disaster reconstruction program. After the Nov 26 earthquake, the damaged buildings and the infrastructure around them are being rebuilt to be much stronger and better buildings in line with the highest safety and living standards.

Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by the Minister of State for Reconstruction, Arben Ahmetaj, visited the area to attend the launch of the construction site. “This is the first school to be constructed in the area following the earthquake and work to build another school in Marikaj is set to begin tomorrow. Over the past two or three weeks, contracts have been signed and government has allocated due funds to support construction of a total of 38 school buildings. Construction of these schools is set to complete by end of this year,” Minister Ahmetaj said.

Construction of Kastrioti school marks the launch of a series of projects to construct from scratch some 129 school buildings, designed to meet the highest architectonic and education standards. The new schools will be built on the ruins of degraded buildings destroyed by the earthquake.

The Premier said the rebuilding program will lead to a major transformation, adding that the new schools will meet decent standards for a country aspiring to join the European Union. As many as 100 construction companies are expected to involve in the reconstruction program to rebuild every quake-damaged building in the worst-hit areas by the last year’s powerful earthquake. “The strategy was designed to make sure that as many as possible companies participate in this rebuilding program. Around 100 to 130 small, medium and big construction companies will involve until the end of the process and will take over construction of schools, infrastructure, private homes and large urban residential neighbourhoods,” Reconstruction Minister Ahmetaj said.

Work to rebuild the related infrastructure will be launched in tandem with the construction of new school buildings. “What we should prevent from happening as we launch the construction sites and break the ground on new buildings is that most difficult and complex part of reconstruction of private homes doesn’t take much time, even though necessary,” PM Rama said.