Prime Minister Edi Rama communicated with Durres residents today as part of the round of conversations with the citizens:
Prime Minister Edi Rama: today, there is no time to rest in the sense that a lot remain to be done and what has been already accomplished is insufficient for us to be satisfied at, it is not enough to make us feel relieved from the burden of stress and problems in terms of the future, yet they suffice to make us feel confident we are on the right path. What we need to do is just keep moving forward on this path.
– The first question focused on the new Durres port set to be built in the Porto Romano area, when the construction work is scheduled to kick off, the completion deadline and who is going to be tasked with the port’s management. The Premier answered:
Durres should be relieved and freed from the whole intense loading and unloading activities currently taking place at the heart of the coastal city. It is actually a 2400-year-old port, but development perspective of the coastal city relies on tourism, a sort of tourism with a brilliant future as Durres is home to incredibly important values of the country’s cultural heritage, huge recreational expanses for holidaymakers, an hospitality capacity and an increasingly sophisticated cuisine and it can no longer afford having a port at its heart, as the port is now outdated in all aspects.
Durres is Albania’s largest port city and if the port can no longer be operational at the heart of the city, we still can’t think about Durres without its cargo seaport. The city’s centre will be freed from entire cargo loading and unloading activities and the pollution such activity triggers. However, the city should definitely open up to the development perspective and further increase in the port activities, because the existing capacities and the space are unchangeable. Today, we need to see the perspective of the cargo port as a perspective closely connected with the ambition to build a major port in terms of the volumes it handles, but also with a scope of economic activity that is simply impossible for it to take place at the heart of the city.
We have been working on this idea for years now and a series of attempts have been made in the past, starting with the industrial area that will now connect to the new cargo port in Durres, but these attempts have failed to finalize.
When we addressed to the international market by proposing an offer for the economic area to transform the territory close to Porto Romano into a major site of commercial and manufacturing activities, Albania was completely different to what it is today in terms of the country’s image and confidence of the leading international companies, as well as in the sense of inability to think that serious companies would ever take such a step. Today we are in a totally different context. If one of the world’s biggest companies, which has built and operates a majority of the tourist investment projects in the Middle East and not only has it shown interest, but it has also submitted the design of the first phase of the Durres port project, and this is because Albania has changed in the eyes of the world.
Despite the international report’s content, commendable or critical assessment, although the international reports have kept constantly hailing Albania’s progress over the past seven years, it was unimaginable that a company of such size would ever express interest in transforming Durres port. The company claims it would be the largest marina in the Mediterranean, whereas I tend to call it one of the largest marinas in the Mediterranean. The idea about transforming Durres port into a marina was simply unimaginable just seven years ago. The idea about building a tourist marina close to the Durres port is actually a long-cherished idea, consistently repeated by the previous administrations. It has been an idea that has actually been materialized with the issuance of the rights to develop a certain concession in that area by the previous governments too, yet the project hasn’t worked.
I have personally tried since day one and I have stumbled upon a wall between this extreme desire and the reality of facts. Today we are looking at a concrete proposal for the initial phase, whereas the master plan on the transformation has been also prepared. First of all, the contracts that have been awarded, like it or not, which are concessionary contracts, like it is the case with your company and other operators currently in the existing port, are unchangeable agreements signed by the Albanian state. The state has the right to build the new port, but, on the other hand, it is obliged to honour these contracts, and entire activity already underway is closely connected with the Albanian port’s needs. The new port will certainly have the same needs, which means that the companies currently operating there will transfer their activities to the new port, where they will be granted the same business premises, contracts and conditions, although he new port will have a much bigger volume than the existing one.
Yet, here we face another problem. We can’t have ambitions about the Durres we want in 2030, as we lack sufficient spaces that would allow major development projects, whereas the border of the new port will be connected with the railway. The construction work on Tirana-Durres railway project is ready to kick off on the ground as the contract has been signed. We also expect the funding for the Hani Hotit railway project to be approved, plus, the other Durres-Prishtine railway project and further on.
How long it will take? It is a matter that, working as a prime minister, has taught me to be very careful, because predictive ability, when you start to implement an idea, is limited because you can prepare a good design, but the project’s progress largely rests with processes and procedures that do not depend on us, as it was the case with Vlora airport project that, despite our efforts, the whole process was suspended because no agreement was reached with the consortium that has built Istanbul airport, after its unsolicited proposal, but the possible agreement was not convincing enough for us. The international competition was suspended because of the COVID pandemic.
We have intensely worked with the leading company to address all the aspects concerning the architecture. The design is nearing finalization. We will then have to make a decision, whether we shall build the Durres port through our own sources and capacities by involving the Port Authority or should we launch an international tender.
The first phase of the tourist port, which is set to kick off soon, doesn’t affect the operation, as the first phase is a proposal about the intermediate area between one end of the port and the beginning of the beach area, namely the Dajlan Bridge. The design is fantastic as it also entails the area’s requalification. Many old ruins and structures will be removed to clear the way for construction of a tourist destination according to the highest standards. We will then move to other phases. Once the work on that triangle begins, we will simultaneously launch work on the other part. The port operations and activities will begin to relocate gradually. This way we won’t hamper business, as a clear strategy and plan is in place to allow these activities go on consistently. Earlier today, I met representatives of an international company working there and I am pleased to find out that the company representatives fully agreed, saying the investment project will have significant impact on Durres image, the country’s economy and it will open up new development opportunities and the port’s handling capacities will become competitive.
–A citizen asked about the Durres citizens’ benefits from this major project, the Premier said:
This is the most important strategic project since the regime-change in Albania and very important in terms of the funds it will inject into economy. The initial projection entails creation of 12 000 jobs, construction of a new city within the city, but up to the highest standards we have ever had; a fragment of same standards and ambitions in Dubai in terms of standards, and not form. It is not about employment in textile and footwear industry, but it is about high-paying jobs, five-star structures and high quality apartments. It is a foreign investment of around 2 billion dollars with an impact on whole Albania.
We talk a lot about Montenegro, but why Montenegro has changed so radically in terms of economic development. It is the most economically developed country in the Balkans. It has changed radically in terms of the international image. The country is now completely different to what it used to be in the’90s. Such projects have huge impact on the Gross Domestic Product and it is not simply a temporary impact, but it is measurable through the chain of other investments it triggers, since as soon as such a company invests in a major project on construction of such a seaport, many other investments ensue. In the meantime, the property value increases along with the revenue the state budge collects and therefore the state also boosts its investments, improves the hospitals’ quality, public services, increases wages and pensions.
Any pay or pension hike is closely related to the opportunities we can afford, because the salaries are not increased today just to be cut tomorrow again. The same goes for the pensions. Others have done this experiment earlier and they have seen the country be torn down in the flame of popular revolts. If you fail to properly calculate the salary and pensions hike today, you would find yourself struggling to pay salaries and wages in the future.
The project will put Durres on a par with the most sought tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, which is something we currently lack. The today’s tourism industry keeps growing in terms of visitor numbers, but not in terms of quality. The growth in visitor numbers has led to the tourism revenues, , but by increasing quality we will be able to attract a category of elite visitors, who spend more and therefore the tourism revenues will grow significantly. The measured economic impact of an airport investment is in 1 to 27 ratio. For each invested euro, you would receive 27 euros in earnings. The measures economic impact of an airport is 1 to 15 or 1 to 18. Do the math taking into consideration the $2 billion-investment and multiply it by 15 or 18.
Today I am very optimistic about the fact that we are on the way to finalizing this project. It is no longer about an idea, nor about the first moment, when no general interest is expressed in the project, but now a company has expressed concrete interest. We have set up a working group led by the Minister of Infrastructure, which works closely with Dubai-based company to carry out this project.
–“When the work to rebuild the DS5-tagged apartment buildings in Shkozet? Will the new residential buildings will be constructed on the same site where the old buildings once stood and when the process is slated to complete,” a citizen asked, and the Prime Minister answered:
I would like to inform that it is the same group we were practically talking about earlier that is tasked with constructing the apartment buildings in Durres, or to deliver on the commitment of the Crown Prince, which was then formalized in the United Arab Emirates with the decision to construct 2000 apartments in Durres as part of the country’s pledge at the International Donors’ conference. The majority of these apartments will be built in the Spitalle area. It would be one of the most beautiful residential neighbourhoods in Durres, as everything will start from scratch. The site to host the reconstruction project has been picked and early next week, if I am not wrong, once the contract is signed, the preparation site and infrastructure work ensue immediately. A super modern infrastructure will be developed in that area, with the lighting system, green spaces and the water supply system. The site will be reinforced and consolidated, just like we did in Thumane.
In the meantime, the projects on construction of other residential buildings and neighbourhoods are ready and it is just a bureaucratic step away, as this is a direct funding from the United Arab Emirates and it remains only a document. The projects manager will arrive in the country by Feb 20, although I can’t set a fix date, as the dates of our Arab brothers differ from ours, and he will be accompanied by his team and they will pick the subcontractors. They have conducted a long market research and the local companies here and I believe the construction work will kick off by March.
What we have decided to allow construction of the new residential complexes where this is possible.
If we are to take a look at Spitalle, the site there, the first perception or the first thing you sense is that it would be best for you to leave Durres and relocate there, but if we are to look at the design, it is not about construction of single-family homes or apartments, but everything else. We also plan to construct the new Durres stadium there, parks, schools and kindergartens. The new ecological park is also being built close to that area, which is taking its final shape and I am hopeful it will complete within March. It will be a park for whole Durres, and I am confident that with a good management it will turn into a tourist destination.
I am very pleased now that reconstruction of the DS4-tagged residential buildings has commenced, and I am pleased because it was really distressful for the residents who have lost their homes, as the buildings have been damaged to the point that they can be rebuilt and therefore they needed specific projects. It was different from the DS1, Ds2, and Ds3-tagged buildings that needed just interior repair works. We are now talking about the buildings that have sustained severe damages and two rounds of damage assessment processes have been conducted to determine whether they can be repaired or not.
-A resident from Sukth asked whether quake-affected families with no property certificates are entitled to benefit under the post-earthquake reconstruction programme, about which the Premier said:
I can openly state that if you lived in a house that has sustained damages or has collapsed because of the earthquake, you will definitely benefit under the reconstruction process. You will definitely receive a positive response, because we can’t leave homeless those who used to own a house, albeit they don’t possess an ownership certificate, although they have built on a land site that is not theirs, because the entire legalization process was built on this principle. We can’t leave those whose homes are destroyed homeless.
Undoubtedly, all the lost homes will be built back better, stronger and larger than the ones they used to live in previously.
Similarly, along with the reconstruction program we have prepared a housing program that goes beyond the reconstruction, which means that in the case of households with two, three or even four couples living under the same roof that has been destroyed, we will build a new house for each of these couples.
All the families in Durres that are not currently living in their apartments and are waiting for the new apartments to be built, the majority of them are returning back to their homes after being repaired and the work to reconstruct the DS1, DS2, and DS3-tagged buildings will complete by end of April or early May. More than 11.200 families were living in makeshift tents immediately after the earthquake, whereas only 683 families are still living in tents, and they are all receiving rental bonus, though they have chosen to live in tents, as they live in rural remote areas. This is their choice, but they are regularly receiving the bonus.
We have built more new schools in the quake-hit areas than all previous governments combined have built all over Albania. And we haven’t built school buildings like the ones that needed repair works over the years, without taking into account the architectural aspect and in terms of the living spaces and conditions, but we have built schools like the ones in Durres, where six out of ten educational facilities are being constructed, and I challenge everyone to compare them with any school building in the EU member states and tell the difference between them.
The international community has helped us immensely. The European Union made a gesture towards us, which is rare even for the EU itself in these cases. We have had the most successful Donors’ conference in recent years, compared to the case of other countries and of course at this point, I believe we should be credited for what you have seen to date, homes, schools, kindergartens, nurseries are not built through the international pledges, but through the Albanian state budget money. The International Donors’ Conference programmes focus on other projects. The EU provided its biggest pledge of 100 million euros to support construction of the rest of educational facilities. Construction of the EU-funded schools is already underway in Durres. Individual donors have provided funds and they are constructing these schools themselves. I mean, that international community manage their funds themselves. The international donors’ pledges have not been transferred to the Albanian state budget. An important fund is the pledge provided by France to support construction of sewerage and wastewater network and the water supply system to ensure 24-hour water supply. French government will allocate 60 million euros in pledges to support these projects. The Italian pledge is another donation with several components, including fishing industry.
