Statement of Vice Prime Minister Niko Peleshi on the decisions taken by the NCT on 28 July:

In this public communication, I would like to share with you some decision of today’s meeting of the National Council of Territory.

There has been a great interest for this decision, which has paved the way, starting from today, to private investments in certain key sectors of the economy, amounting to a total of 250 million Euro.

The impact on employment will be 2800 permanent employees in sectors such as hydropower, renewable energies, photovoltaic systems for electricity production, tourism, etc.

In just one resort approved today, the value of the investment amounts to over 150 million euros.

Meanwhile, we have taken also some important decisions to reconstruct, to bring back to normalcy and to modernize, two very important cultural institutions, such as the Theatre of Opera and Ballet and the National Library, abandoned for many years and lacking the deserved dignity.

Of course, we believe that the increased interest in investments follows the consolidation of the legal framework. Let me recall that we have adopted a very pro-business law on strategic investments, we have adopted the law on public-private partnership, we have adopted the law on tourism and regulations in this regard. In the meantime, we have concluded a process that could not be concluded for more than twenty years, and this is the drafting and approval of the National Development Plan. It has paved the way to the Regional Development Plans and to Local General Plans.

In a few weeks, 31 municipalities will pass in the National Council of Territory the General Local Plans, which means that they will open a new window, not only for the construction industry but also for the local and national economy in general.

Business support agencies, such as the Territorial Development Agency, or the Foreign Investment Agency, AIDA, are obliged under the law to become today one-stop-shops, or in agents assisting investors.

We are contributing to creating a positive business climate, which I would like to relate to a process that is today the main subjects, the strongest and the hottest item of our common political and social agenda, justice reform.

The judicial reform will give us the opportunity, not simply and only to cleanse the system of corruption, not simply and only to have a corps of honest prosecutors and judges, not simply and only to be the strongest in the fight against corruption of senior officials, but it will have as a direct effect a very favourable climate for domestic and foreign investors.

The justice system is reformed, it will directly increase legal safety. I like to read this increased interest in private investments, as I mentioned earlier, also as a restored confidence of the Albanians that the process of reforming the justice system, the process not only of the good laws that have but been lacking, but also of the good law people which we have been lacking until yesterday, is now giving the first signs of business confidence of the private sector and investors in Albania’s future.

I will conclude by saying that this is Albania in which we believe, a country where there are not only good laws due to the contribution of our international partners, but there are also good law people, there is a business climate that stems of legal certainty. Let us walk together with the political class, but also with all Albanians on this path that is the path of the new Albania.