“A project that takes a special importance today, when we just approved another very important reform, the Administrative and Territorial Reform that extends significantly the current Municipality of Elbasan and brings within the limits of the municipality a significant number of municipalities, so that the city can have much more development potential. At the same time, it gives us the opportunity to have much clearer development priorities in designing the future.
Actually, we have started from the urban centers which, you as residents of Elbasan can witness that have been neglected by the previous government, but also from governments in general, for many years. With the idea that city halls have much more opportunities than municipalities, which in itself may be true, city halls were abandoned by the government and in fact, Elbasan, one of the most important cities of Albania, has suffered for many years from the lack of serious investment in infrastructure. And we are all witnesses that, except for the reconstruction of the main promenade which was done thanks to the commitment and the finances of the Municipality of Elbasan, there has not been any serious investment in Elbasan, funded by the Government in all these years.
We are committed here and in many other urban centers, but since we are here, I’m talking about here, that in four years will do for Elbasan what has not been done in 23 years put together. And, in fact, the Mayor can witness that the amount the Government has made available for all these projects, which are now on the path of being implemented in Elbasan, is larger than the amount that Elbasan has benefited from the government to Tirana in over 10 years combined. Only today! And, actually, the Municipality of Elbasan benefits directly 8 projects that are long-term development projects. They are not impromptu interventions nor interventions isolated from the logic of further development, because we will invest in Elbasan again next year and again after 2 years and after 3 years. This means that what we see today is only the creation of the center of gravity that will continue to extend to very last city alley. Elbasan is surrounded by various potentials of cultural and natural heritage which so far have been terribly neglected and it has been impossible for the municipality to consider and take care of them properly.
On the other hand, we decided to transform the stadium of Elbasan from a local ruin to a national stadium, making it home of the Albanian National Football League until a completely new stadium of international size and standards will be built in Tirana. So, we invested directly on the “Elbasan Arena” stadium which, as the Mayor said, will host after little more than a month the first team. But let us not forget that it is not all just about the football game, but it is about everything concerning the city and the city’s economy that will benefit from this centralization of Elbasan, in view of a very important popular event, which is the activity of our national team.
On the other hand I want to say that investments are not just these ones here. They go beyond the boundaries of the current Municipality of Elbasan and a considerable number of citizens and communities will benefit from these investments. And I am very pleased that we passed from a stage where money was spent only for paving election asphalts, to a stage where investments are becoming standard-based. We are insisting that standards are respected, so that they can be stable and not only for the Prime Minister to appear on television. Likewise, we do not came here with scissors to cut ribbons and make shows, but we came to a site, in one of the eight sites that are currently at work in Elbasan and which the Mayor has promised that will be closed within this year. I hope Qazim will keep this commitment, so that he could convince us to invest even more in Elbasan next year. Because it is very important that the money invested, be invested properly and every penny could turn into something good for the community and not get lost due to the lack of performance.
Briefly, as they say in Elbasan, this work does not need a lot of philosophy or schooling, but you just need to take notes of what you see. So, we have started from what you are clearly seeing to make the city of Elbasan revive. I believe that after the implementation of these projects, Elbasan would not be what it is, but will be a city that, in addition to new roads, lighting, renewed facades, the new stadium, it will be above all a much more hopeful and much more confident city and it will have much more positive energy, and I am convinced, also a bigger development of small and medium business. The story of the transformation of Tirana teaches this. Investments will increase the value of your property, of your apartments, shops and land. These investments will make everyone richer than he/she was yesterday, as happened with Tirana, as happened with many neighborhoods of Tirana where, after interventions, real estate prices had a significant increase for citizens and ordinary families and small traders. So this is an added value in a value chain, which will grow more and more every year.
I thank you very much for coming. I’m always grateful for the exceptional support that Elbasan has given us and I am hopeful that we will be able to return to you the investment that you have made by giving us the mandate and the great privilege to serve you, in more investments, more employment and more hope and confidence in the future, for all those who have decided to build their lives here in Elbasan and for all the children who will have a separate program for the renewal of schools, the renewal of the education process, the renewal of playgrounds and sport areas, so that we all together, not far in time, can be proud when we will remember that we were part of the history that we began to write last year on June 23.”
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The government, in partnership with the Municipality, has launched a project for urban renaissance of the city of Elbasan. With a funding of 5.5 million Lekë of the Regional Development Fund, 8 infrastructural interventions have been launched, such as road reconstruction, renovation of the facades, buildings and lighting. These investments have transformed the city of Elbasan in a construction site. Today, Prime Minister Edi Rama paid a visit in Elbasan to follow closely and inspect the works being done in eight rehabilitative interventions.
Even the investment plan in the city of Elbasan is part of a national program for the urban renewal of the country. For this, for the first time the government gave from the Regional Development Fund a funding that had never been given before in support of these centers.
Interventions for urban revitalization of Elbasan foresee other investments in sport centers and educational facilities, with a value worth 400 thousand dollars. The Prime Minister said that these investments are planned with a clear vision to serve the long-term development of Elbasan and they will be made everywhere, with direct impact on the lives of citizens.
The Prime Minister inspected also the works for the reconstruction of the stadium “Elbasan Arena”, which will host matches of the national team. A 5.5 million Euros investment which is an important part of the revival of Elbasan.
“I am very impressed by the speed of work, quality of work and the fact that, while the national team was likely to remain orphans and knock on Europe’s doors to find a field to play, we guaranteed them at a record time to play in house. Their house will be in Elbasan. Where better than in Elbasan, because it is the gathering point for everyone and I believe that no one will feel bad. Because, it if it was in Shkodra, Vlora would feel bad, if it was in Vlora, Shkodra would feel bad”, the Prime Minister said. At the end of his visit in Elbasan, the Prime Minister guaranteed urban transformation of Elbasan and other urban centers of the country.
Approximately 50 thousand square meters of roads, 25 thousand square meters of sidewalks, 70 thousand square meters of facades and 2 thousand square meters of greenery will be built in the city.
