Remarks by Prime Minister Edi Rama in the meeting with public structures and road maintenance companies in the country where the Solidarity Fleet establishment was launched, whose purpose is to respond quickly and efficiently to any situation:
The real truth is that I have not been really critical in this regard, because concrete work begins now through the massive funding made available on maintenance. Around 13 million euros a year will fund main road axis maintenance, to a total of 1332 kilometers, and the remaining 2600 kilometers, will be maintained by a 3.7 billion of the State Budget.
We are in the conditions to make a big difference and open a new chapter on maintenance, which is one of the greatest dramas inherited in all areas, because the minds of the governance and the officials have been consistently: let’s do projects and do new jobs, new works and objects, instead on maintenance we will see and do. Meanwhile maintenance is an integral part of a new project or a new facility.
What I want to underline is that, first of all, we remain faithful to the conviction that if today we do not have a national road that can be certified according to the European Union security and mobility standards, this situation will change we will have important national axis certifiable to EU standards. In this regard, government funding of some of the most important works, starting from the new work at Tirana entrance, which will transform the whole circulation system, creating a new intersection, a state of the art to entre- exit of Tirana and dividing traffic overflow, either on the New Road Ring from the already constructed side or to the be built-part to connect with the point where we are, the New Boulevard.
Other very important road works, such as the by-pass south in the region of Tepelena; completion of the legendary road Korce – Erseke, to which we have granted funds again; construction work kick off on Arbri Road through the “One billion for reconstruction” funding program; advancing and concluding contracts, I believe within the first part of the year on Thumana – Kashar road, Balldren-Milot road; furthermore, the beginning of work, I believe within this year as well, the new road Kashar – Rrogozhine, which will be built through a paid funding scheme; reconstruction and completion of the already started, rebuilt and never completed road from Rrogozhina to Fier; we can say now that we are very close to solving the horrible intersection of the two by-passes of Fier and Vlora, to launch their beginning and ending without interruption and without any more blocking; all these, together with other projects I’m not bringing forth which fortunately are plenty, are one side of the medal. The other side is maintenance.
I am very pleased that there are three serious and among the largest Albanian companies, that already have a great experience in construction of road infrastructure, which have taken over the regional maintenance contracts. I think we need to improve the supervisory scheme, since I do not believe that we are able to pursue this delicate maintenance-related process via a single national supervision. It is important that in spring, people see for themselves that many of those main road sections, starting from Kashar to Durres, which is a separate issue, will be significantly improved according to European standards maintenance. I am confident, not just because of sufficient funding, but also because companies are sufficiently reliable and trustworthy on this process.
I have the conviction that as in the first challenge with the current emergency situation, the new prefects will prove to be an added value in this process to follow the entire maintenance process with citizens’ eyes and those who use the national road and to inform the government in real time about various issues.
The last point, but not least important, is the Fleet of Solidarity. We are very pleased that we have full understanding with the companies that the legendary story of the snow-closed roads’ vicissitudes will end. Snow may continue to fall, but companies need to continue real-time to solve the problem, as it happens in any snow-falling country, with the entire system envisaged in maintenance contracts, salinization and available means. This should be the “A” in relation to guaranteeing all services and the mobility of citizens, even in bad weather.
Meanwhile we talked with the prefects about the fact that this Solidarity Fleet core, which is a stable nucleus, will be an addition to not only companies, about 58, if not to mistaken, operating in the rest of the territory on maintaining about 2900 kilometers of secondary roads, but not secondary of importance, but also other ventures that will be registered in this Fleet, expressing in advance that willingness they always express – is a great and very positive thing as every time we have problems with emergencies, we have great readiness from the business – to have a completely modern emergency planning scheme, where volunteering does not appear on the day of the stricken disaster, but appears ahead as a readiness and afterwards everyone knows the positioning on the map of the emergency taking place in order to do the right thing.
We discussed this with the prefects as well, who have started work and will be your closest associates. On the other hand, you express concerns that might be related to the road directorate, as we know what the road directorate is – an agency undergoing a reform process which, however, has many internal problems and past illnesses to overcome. The Minister of Infrastructure requested the prosecution a few days ago to open a criminal case for a colossal embezzlement. Millions and tens of millions of euros, as a result of the irresponsibility of this agency and not only in euro, but also the costs it has placed upon the State Budget, the citizen, our image as a country, is about a serious crime and such crimes you can witness more than I can in the history of the Road Directorate. We are determined to put an end to this era and turn the Road Directorate into a really European standards agency that truly guarantees the vital process to the country in terms of infrastructure development, its maintenance and control over all processes relevant to road infrastructure.
Thank you very much for your presence!
Many thanks for your willingness to do more than merely implement the contract because you have a legal duty and is not a matter of volunteering. With the confidence and conviction that this year, we will open a new chapter in our country’s infrastructure and a new chapter on road maintenance, I wish you all success and good luck both in this task and in the entire journey of your companies, either as developers or as supervisors
