Meeting of National Rebuilding Committee:
Thank you for attendance!
Over the past few days following the first meeting of the National Rebuilding Committee a voluminous job has been done to collect data and determine projects and work on several aspects. With your permission, together with the Chairman of the Committee, we will provide an outline of the current situation and will then proceed with plans on implementation stages, financial commitments, donors’ conference, the special law on rebuilding, and presentation of the case file on each building that need to be reconstructed. After the presentation, the meeting will be open to discussions.
As far as the current situation is concerned, this is a map of the quake-affected areas with the assessed damages according to the damage level as determined by experts. Yet I have to reiterate that the data are not complete and not final, as they are being updated constantly.
Data on the damaged buildings:
261 apartment buildings have sustained serious damages and are uninhabitable.
2237 seriously damaged private homes, currently uninhabitable;
851 apartment buildings with medium or small damages;
4618 homes with medium or small damages.
Specific work is underway on the apartment buildings that have been seriously damaged to assess danger level. According to the foreign experts – earlier today we met a team of Israeli experts equipped with highly sophisticated state-of-the-art technology that scans the buildings digitally to check their solidity – a part of these apartment buildings have not sustained structural damages and they are recoverable.
It is a high number of findings and the data are dynamic. Verifications continue and data are updated daily.
Tirana district:
729 apartment buildings, 7060 private homes have been inspected for damages by experts;

Durres district:
5767 buildings inspected, 438 of them set to be demolished;
2353 buildings are uninhabitable;
2976 other buildings inspected.
Lezha district:
1588 houses have sustained considerable damages;
740 have suffered medium damages;
1560 other buildings have sustained minor damages.
Fortunately, all hospitals and health care centers have sustained minor recoverable damages; namely 8 hospitals have sustained medium, but repairable damages; 2 hospitals have suffered minor damages; only two health centers are now non-operational, whereas 12 others have sustained repairable damages.
Some 36 school buildings have sustained serious damages.
By the way, I avail myself of this opportunity to reiterate the truth about “Emin Duraku” school building in Tirana, which has most recently become subject to media speculations. The damage assessment process there has completed and the buildings has been inspected more than once. A part of the school building remains totally intact, whereas experts have advised not to use a previously built part. Everything else is pure speculation.
There are several justice system buildings that need urgent intervention.
Some 19 monuments and cultural heritage sites are critically threatened; 24 other monuments have sustained damages that make them practically unusable; while 155 others can be normally used as they pose no threat, yet they need to be restored.
Report on initial post-earthquake response
As of today, some 500 engineers are currently on the ground. This is an approximate figure, since their number changes time after time.
Some 81 international experts from 11 countries are also helping in damage assessment process.
We have finally concluded housing of quake-affected families in rental homes in Tirana’s urban area.
We are meeting demands for winter tents in rural areas.
The quake-affected families in Durres and Lezha have been all housed in hotels.
Work to clean post-earthquake debris is underway.
Cash aid for the affected families has been allocated and distributed.
Donation of apartments to all families of earthquake victims will complete this week in line with the Council of Ministers’ decision.
Reconstruction fund
We have been considering plans to allocate 20 billion lek immediately in budget funds to support reconstruction, plus donations. The expectations for donations are high and we think financial aid will significantly increase, as bilateral talks with other countries are already underway, whereas we will host a donors’ conference once a final post-earthquake report is finalized. According to our projections, we expect to host the big Donors’ Conference by first half of February. Funding will be dynamic and it will reflect any new donations and it will increase through allocations in the future.
It will be a special budget program, which means it won’t be reviewed as it is the case with the budgetary funds and it will be easily traceable and verifiable by the institutions and the public.
As many as 666 affected families in Durres have been entitled to benefit rental bonus. Housing problem in Durres remains unsolved since there is a lack of available apartments for rent. We are working on finding a solution, which might not be quite optimal for these families, and the solution may lie somewhere outside Durres. We are exploring housing opportunities for them in Tirana’s western outskirt, because there are no available apartments and we can’t fully meet housing demand in Durres.
While as many as 1120 quake-affected families in Tirana have been entitled to rental bonus, with 922 of them already accommodated, while the rest are in a process of accommodation.
Financial support by state budget
A series of actions have been taken regarding the need to eliminate Value Added Tax on military goods and supplies delivered to the families in the disaster-stricken area, or the military supplies imported from the NATO member states and Allies that will be used in the reconstruction process. The list of Council of Ministers’ decisions has been made public.
A preliminary report on damages has yet to be finalized. A joint team with the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank is working on the report. The initial preliminary report is set to be presented on December 16, but given what our directly-involved partners told us the post-disaster reports take some time. An initial preliminary report will be followed by a second report and then a final report on the damages, which will be produced most likely by end of January. This is our goal in order to clear the way for the Donors’ Conference.
As far as the transparency is concerned, we are working on a special app that would be accessible by everyone and it will contain specific and detailed data on the government, donors, financial aid, destination of funding and the beneficiaries. We will hopefully introduce this app at the next meeting a week later.
A special law on rebuilding is being drafted and the legislation aims at creating an exclusive framework on all aspects concerning reconstruction. A group is working around the clock and a draft is already ready. We are now cooperating with the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs to take the legislation forward and pass it in Parliament.
The special law on reconstruction includes the program on building new houses and public infrastructure funded by state budget; building new houses and public infrastructure by donors; new housing purchase program; housing reconstruction grant program; dwellings donated under the recovery fund by private entities; rebuilding houses destroyed by natural disasters on the same site; social recovery program; natural disaster compensation; economic recovery program.
Donors’ Conference
I have to make a clarification for the international institutions, the bilateral meetings. The conference is set to take place by early February.
Reconstruction project files
So far, there are 386 reconstruction project files that have been made available to the foundations and donors. We have readied these files so that we go to the conference organized and ready plans, without wasting energies and time. With the files ready, we will be able to promptly include every house and building on the app, along with the name of the contributor for everyone to monitor and see who and what is doing in this process.
I would like to thank the participants who have kept raising funding and contribute also to the efforts to harmonize actions and respecting at the same time the discipline we imposed all together. I think it is about time to commence work to repair quake damages, by repairing first private homes, while we plan major reconstruction interventions. As far as the private homes are concerned, I have discussed the matter with Elvis and Arbri, while we have been unable to meet Marin, as he hasn’t been present. Yesterday, we had a discussion in Turkey where they have established a super industry of construction earthquake-proof buildings and eco-friendly homes. Such structures are absolutely safe, solid and pose no threat of whatsoever and, above all, they are super comfortable housing units build with sustainable materials that are being massively used nowadays, not merely in the aftermath of earthquakes, but also in rural areas or in outskirts of the cities to build private homes.
We have signed contracts with the builders. We will arrange, hopefully by the day after tomorrow, a series of meetings there, where we will be able to contact in person and try to negotiate best possible prices in order to make sure that largest possible number of private homes in rural areas are constructed by them. The municipalities of Tirana, Durres and Lezha should prepare the material about the 3 percent provision we have included in the new law.
Builders’ community in Tirana owes to the social housing some 15.000 square meters that would suffice to house at least 150 families in houses with a space of 100 square meters each. It would be OK with us if they wish to purchase these houses and make them available as housing fund. If they don’t wish to do so and instead provide cash for the housing found, then it is OK with us. Yet, we can’t wait for their building projects to conclude in order to benefit the three percent construction space as stipulated by law to make it available to the social housing program. This is something we will include in law.
Meanwhile, I think that the organizations involved in this process can start the rebuilding process immediately, since they are more flexible than us. But we should harmonize actions in order to register every construction project, including the refurbishment projects, in order to allow many people currently housed in hotels or tents return back to their repaired homes. In the meantime, we will ready entire required procedures to commence major construction projects. Of course, the humanitarian organizations are not able to meet all the demands for building private homes, but it is important for the rebuilding process to begin.
Utmost care should be attached to registering an accurate number of quake-damaged houses, because initial signs by speculators have been noticed. There are cases with certain individuals seeking to damage their own houses, hoping that Elvis, the government or Arber will build a new one for them. This whole story has its limits and I would tell everyone to refrain from such adventures, because we have already identified the quake-damaged houses. There are much more poorly built houses than the damaged ones in Albania. We have made an inventory of these houses. The rebuilding program is clear and it is designed to assist those who became homeless and those who can’t return to their homes as they are either risky, or inhabitable.
We have to be clear on this point, because it is impossible for us to constantly add the number of these houses as their number can grow infinitely. The number of damaged and destroyed houses has been identified and we will update this number by registering someone who is not registered, but also by de-registering anyone who has been unfairly included in this program. There are people currently accommodated in hotels and we have provided this housing opportunity for them because they are traumatized, or they are renting a home and have left the rented house, but they can now pretend and ask us to build new houses for them. But they can go on living in their rental houses.
We should formulate a contract of guarantee, stipulating that the government provides housing to all quake-affected families by May 2021. Whoever is denied what he is entitled to benefit under this contract they can hold the government accountable. This is the only way we can push things forward and maintain right relationship with every affected family.
The chairman of the National Rebuilding Committee Arben Ahmetaj: An initial funding of 200 million dollars will be made automatically available to the rebuilding program as soon as the President signs the 2020 state budget bill into law. I would like to emphasize that funding allocation was made possible without reviewing salaries, pensions, services and investment as it is randomly the case in many countries that are forced to cut spending and increased taxes. It will be a special fund that can be audited by the Supreme State Audit in order to ensure transparency and the government can allocate this fund to implement the rebuilding program based on the state budget law.
As far as the special law is concerned, I should point out that more developed countries implement a special response regime in the aftermath of a natural disaster. While a law on civil emergencies only is into effect in Albania. This law applies to the emergency response measures and extends disaster damages and effects are fully eliminated and for the first time it allows the government to act.
PM Rama: We can divide work and responsibilities with the three largest humanitarian and charity organizations to allow them build the private homes. When it comes to implementing bigger construction projects, we would very much welcome them to contribute if they wish to join us in building big residential areas.
The Committee is the programing structure that tables all the proposals, whereas the Albanian Development Fund (ADF) is the implementing structure. ADF is compiling a register in collaboration with ASIG and this register will include all elements so that there are not many confusion reference points. The register will be a reference point, a gravity center with everyone providing and receive information. ADF is tasked with coordinating all institutions and as such it is a very important institution. There is a number of schools, kindergartens, other public infrastructure that need to develop and be built along with the houses of the quake-affected families. Plus, we should care to plan spaces due to be created with demolition of the damaged apartment buildings and turn them into public spaces. This entire mass information should be collected in one place. And then everyone acts to do his part in this process with the help of institutions if needed without creating chaos.
Elvis Naçi, Albanians for Albanians Foundation: For the time being, as we have already agreed with other humanitarian foundations, we have decided to manage our own funds, but this doesn’t rule out the responsibility to provide full transparency. Albanians for Albanians Foundation has collected an amount of 6 370 000 euros to date. Our goal is to collect 10 million euros. I visited Thumane a day ago and people there asked me why we are not starting the construction process. I replied that we will kick off work as soon as the National Rebuilding Committee and the relevant institutions give their green light. Today we just received the first signal that we can start with construction of private homes. We also wish to participate in implementing bigger projects on construction residential areas for the residents of Thumane as we have established communication with many construction firms, not only in Albania, but also in Kosovo, or Albanian builders in North Macedonia, who lack cash, yet they can contribute by carrying out construction works.

Prime Minister Rama: We need to look a bit at the typologies. In think that the quake-affected village of Thumane represents a different specific typology, since the post-disaster situation unlocks the potential to develop a new urban context, not only regarding the apartment buildings, but also the private dwellings in the area. There are individual damaged dwellings, as well as apartment buildings, as well as apartment buildings and other public facilities that need to be reconstructed. We will gladly share this burden together, since the government will have its share when it comes to the infrastructure development projects, but I would like that we kick off work to construct private homes initially, while we prepare major rebuilding plans. Once the rebuilding plan is in place, we will offer local residents a historic opportunity for the area, with families having built their private homes on their own land to accept a new urban planning that provides them the opportunity to live now in much better homes in a new urban context that will lead to construction of a new town there. Local residents will be able then to use their land plots for agricultural purposes, without having a house building right in the middle of the land plot and without surrounding walls on all four sides. If you take on this aspect, it will be a great relief for us as it requires a lot of communication with local residents and this can be done neither by local government officials, nor the private companies’ representatives, because it stirs conspiracy complexes right away. This is something that can be done jointly by us only, the government together with you. We can certainly cooperate about the grand reconstruction plan. The thing I believe we all agree on is that the draft-project and the supervision should be 100% guaranteed, because you can’t take responsibility for any major construction project.
Arbër Hajdari, executive director of “Different Weekend” Foundation”: We have two ideas about this project; first, we are ready to begin reconstruction wherever needed. Given the ground inspections we have already carried out, it turns out that there are families which have abandoned their own houses merely because they have sustained minor wall cracks. However, there is a large number of dwellings that need to be reconstructed so that these people put their life back together.
Skënder Gjinushi: We should make sure that European codes are applied in future seismology and geology studies. I think the Academy of Sciences can take on this task. We are ready to play the organizer’s role, even set up a temporary team of researchers. We have also consulted with centers and academies in the region. We want to host a regional conference on this issue. The key is to determine the geological maps for construction in the future, considering all prospects.
PM Rama: I would like to reiterate and, luckily enough, it is not just my perception that I created on the second day after the disaster when I saw it for myself, but I want to reiterate that this is now also a leitmotiv of all foreign experts – just like it was the case today when I met with an elite Israeli team, who admitted that compared to the earthquake’s magnitude, buildings withstood the tremor in general and they are solid. This is what they say.
There are three typologies of the damaged buildings: the buildings with silicate brick walls, which have sustained most serious damages; the apartment buildings constructed due volunteer-work era; very old private homes, like the ones in Tirana, or houses built during the construction boom, as well as high-rise buildings along coast. Of course, these buildings have nothing to do neither with European, nor Albanian construction codes.
It is an honour and pleasure to have Mrs. Luljeta here as well. Thank you for joining the Committee and thanks for your contribution to this great hurly-burly of people who have spoken a lot without knowing what they were talking about, generally scaring people, putting the builders in Albania in front of the “firing squad.” I would gladly give you the floor.
Engineer Luljeta Bozo: I liked very much the material you have prepared as it shows that every problem is being monitored dynamically step by step. I am very happy that we have always enjoyed solidarity in case of the natural disasters. I would like to thank the foundations that have done fantastic job in terms of fund raising.
I would like to highlight three main problems. So far, an initial damage assessment has been carried out and it may change in the coming days, yet it won’t alter a lot. This should be specified peculiarly in rural areas, as the problem in urban areas is almost solved.
Which are the buildings that have collapsed totally and people are currently sheltered in tents, but they cannot spend the winter in such tents. Which are the buildings that have sustained minor damages. This aspect should be clearly specified so that we would have a clear picture on the work to be done. This should be done quickly. We have the right human resources, the expert teams and the engineers to carry out this process. I believe we shall have a complete report on damages within a week.
After that, I think you need to develop an operational plan. This plan must be organized and executed by the local government, because it is impossible for the central government to take care of everything. The local government units there, the municipality of Petrela, or Vaqar, for example, should act and organize the work on how to get started. The process should definitely start with those who are now homeless, in the open air, and then continue with other quake damaged families. However, an operational plan should be in place; the building to be constructed, the responsible team, the project, and the deadline. Unless there are clear deadlines and people who should be held accountable for every project, then nothing would happen. Everything should be identified so that everything becomes open and in a transparent manner.
As far as the funding is concerned, it should be clearly stated whether the whole cost will be covered by the government, or whether the individuals will contribute too. I think that individuals should also contribute to the rebuilding process. The government is not to be blamed why individuals have not built solid houses. Was he told to do so? Everyone has become a builder. I think that individuals should assume a share of this responsibility financially since they have violated rules. I also think that local government authorities should not permit reconstruction or construction from scratch without presenting a building design first. Groups of design engineers have offered their help. Some of them have pledged to design projects voluntarily. All buildings need to be registered and classify according to their state. Construction projects should be then shown to local residents and clearly tell them the cost the government and they should cover.

I am really concerned about situation in urban areas. There are facilities and buildings that look really good, as they have been build by skilled engineers and it is a fact that they withstood earthquake. However, there are so many later interventions that I’m not sure what may happen in the future. These interventions range from the removal of walls to the removal of lintels and beams in brick buildings. It is up to the prosecutors to look into these interventions made by residents. Whoever has caused such damages should be held responsible. However, we should verify all these buildings which we suspect about their integrity.
We should deal with this situation as soon as possible so that people return to normality and their life back together, because they are still afraid to return to their own homes. It is an app that sent people outside their homes as soon as they see a 2.9 magnitude earthquake occurs. But such tremors are not felt. Buildings feel earthquake measuring at least 4 to 4.5 on Richter scale. They are reluctant to send children to school. The old part of “Emin Duraku” school building is safe and teaching can be organized in a two-shift process. We need to react quickly. It looks like we are at a wartime. I think the public administration should be operative and highly effective.
The construction and engineering law needs to improve, because many flagrant violations have been made and justice should act, because many of these damaged buildings have been reported to the Construction Police that have acted by imposing fines and ordering builders to take actions and improve their structure. But the cases have been then referred to the court and corrupt judges have made wrong decisions.
PM Rama: Thank you very much professor Bozo! I would reiterate that the national legislation, for the sake of truth, is more sophisticated than the legislation of other countries, but its enforcement has been always a problem. The fact that new buildings are absolutely exemplary in this respect shows that the law is not the problem, although I agree that law should be amended to include other elements.
What you really said at conclusion of your remarks is indeed the essence of it all. The so-called “catch what you can group” (KÇK) has wreaked havoc on construction. We are aware of concrete cases when the police have arrested individuals who have violated law by building illegally. But their cases have been then referred to the court and these violators have then continued building. So this issue is much more complex.
As for the proposal to ask individuals to cover a part of the construction cost, I think it is impossible to ask people to pay today, but we should make it clear this is the last time when the government of this country is paying for the wrongdoings of individuals. Insuring properties against damages by any disasters should be made compulsory. Everyone should insure themselves against disaster damages. Apocalyptic disasters take place regularly in America and people, except death because nobody is immune from the elements, at least have their properties insured. Indeed, I saw the list and I was really impressed, because a large number of quake-affected individuals have been reimbursed by the insurance companies. The insurance companies have disbursed 12 million euros to date. There are people whose homes have been damaged, but they have proved to be wiser than others, as they have insured their properties and are now receiving compensation from the insurance companies. Indeed, the total of insured properties is estimated at around 25 million euros. But we can’t consider asking people to pay this time, because it would be incomprehensible to many people and somehow unfair for many at this point. However, the message should be clear. We will no longer reimburse damages caused as a result of failure to assume individual responsibility. All properties and homes in this country should be insured. Whoever refuses to insure the property, then he or her should take over the responsibility if his or her house is flooded or destroyed and it no longer be the case with individuals reaping benefits, while the state should care about everything. Because other taxpayers should not pay for those who build their homes with the steel they have extracted by demolishing bunkers.
Member of the National Rebuilding Committee: Since a large number of engineers have been employed to help the assessment teams to check integrity of the buildings, they should carefully investigate the cases when builders or certain residents have intervened by damaging the structure of high-rise buildings. We should think about amendments to the legislation and find a practical solution as soon as possible in order to force these individuals to return buildings into their previous state. This is because there are many people who are afraid to live in their own houses, because they are aware of the structure-damaging interventions by builders and residents alike. This is doable and I believe that we all together can come up with a proposal to effectively and swiftly address this issue. I support the idea of imposing the Eurocodes. Including European construction standards in the national legislation is a must. I would also like to highlight a positive development by architects and builders over all these years, because I am sure there is no construction engineer in Tirana who doesn’t apply European standards in construction. Although they haven’t been obliged to, many people have observed the Eurocodes and buildings in Tirana withstood the tremor. While in other cities, where local administration has been more lenient and where strong interventions have taken place, the damages there were much more serious. So we need to calm people and convince them that high-rise buildings pose no threat, except the psychological problems due to the terrible earthquake. However, the damages to the buildings constructed by true builders in Tirana and Durres have been either minor or inexistent.
Minister of Culture Elva Margariti: We have already received an initial damage assessment report on all school buildings and as soon as we receive the final inspection reports by the teams of experts, following the rapid preliminary assessment, we will proceed in the same way. Projects are being designed by separate work teams and they will be then forwarded to the association of architects. This assessment and an economic assessment will be presented to the Committee to decide whether a reconstruction or new construction project will be implemented.
PM Edi Rama: I would like to add another element here. We would need a large workforce, because major construction and reconstruction projects due to be developed here in Tirana, in almost every neighbourhood, school buildings and private homes, we are working based on the masterplans and the urban planning concepts. Yet we need a large number of people to implement these projects. Implementing a project by a single design studio would take at least six months or one year. But we need to divide them into segments and set up groups with local engineers and architects, who, with the assistance of foreign architects, will make these projects operational. Otherwise we won’t be able to start the reconstruction process.
Our idea is to kick off work to construct individual private homes first. Elvis, Arberi and Marin are the ones to take the initial step in this direction and we will join them later. The individual homes we have jointly inspected are very good ones and revolutionary for the countryside. Because when we speak about villages, sometimes we think about old traditional houses, but it is either about very old houses, or newly-built ones. So, it is not that a typology or a tradition is being destroyed. The rebuilding process will introduce new quake-proof and eco-friendly elements and we would easily join the plan once you reach an agreement and reveal the construction price tag.
When it comes to the new buildings, the main problem we face is the timing when we should commence the ground-breaking work in every area we are seeking to build new neighbourhoods, except the town of Laç, where an agreement has been reached with the Turkish company. Being a leading construction company in Turkey for years now, they possess the modules and whatever it takes to develop such projects. We need to act quickly in order to implement construction projects in other quake-damaged areas. The project in the town of Laç envisages construction of a total of 500 homes, meanwhile we are talking about building some 3,000 to 4,000 apartments in one area, 1,000 or 2,000 apartments in another area and a total of around 3,000 houses in another quake-affected area. It is about mass construction projects and therefore we need all Albanian engineers and architects to contribute and play their role. Of course, we are not talking about voluntarism. We can’t ask a group of engineers to work 20 hours a day voluntarily in order to design the blueprint of this construction volume in a record time. But they of course can help us in order to press ahead with the rebuilding program quickly.
Member of the National Rebuilding Committee: The green light was opened today to begin intervention in individual houses. As a professional would ask without prejudice, have you determined the legal procedures for this? Because tomorrow we will be on the ground and there are many elements of pre-intervention and post-intervention procedures are required by the Albanian law. Are there procedures determined?
PM Edi Rama: Here you have a map, or a passport of steps and procedures on homes’ construction and reconstruction in rural areas. As soon as a number of case files are made available to the charity foundations, all these steps and procedures will be followed.
Member of the National Rebuilding Committee: Second, the technical procedures must be clear to the donors. Third, the fiscal procedure takes a significant value too. Whoever donates money, or develops the construction project, they are not excluded from the fiscal system. We should clearly stipulate as this is an important element both to donors, and builders.
Chairman of the National Rebuilding Committee Arben Ahmetaj: A series of elements were already introduced. I believe that the infrastructure tax on the houses due to be built under this so to say rebuilding program should not be applied. Eco-friendly homes will be also excluded from having to pay VAT. We are mulling two or three fiscal incentives that we will unveil soon and forward to the Committee for approval.
Member of the National Rebuilding Committee: Once the construction works complete, a balance sheet should be submitted to the tax administration. Donors are not aware of this. They only know they will implement a construction project. I have been working on the ground too. I have not appeared on the media and I have sought to avoid them, because being a builder myself I consider it more appropriate to do so. I have inspected a number of buildings in Kombinat neighbourhood and I have concluded that they are uninhabitable. They are mainly communist-era apartment buildings with silicate bricks constructed through volunteer work. What I would like to say that I think that many structures have been best constructed by serious builders as they have resisted the tremor very well. There are also more elastic structures, but this is an endless topic. At this point, we as experts have sought to calm down people, or we have advised them to stay out of their houses until another experts’ team checks the building. You should know that people expect us to tell them what will happen with their homes. This is the most important step that will determine everything in the future, both in terms of financial and technical value. I don’t know what the emergency committee has thought about this, but we as a Rebuilding Committee can do nothing without it.
PM Edi Rama: We discussed this procedure with the Israeli experts earlier today as they have a modality somehow different from that of the Europeans.
Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Emergencies Committee, Bledi Çuçi: That’s true. The first stage was to identify and avoid immediate danger.
PM Edi Rama: In order to be completely sure, a large number have been declared uninhabitable. However, not all of them are not irreparable.
Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Emergencies Committee, Bledi Çuçi: In the meantime, we have been dealing with housing of the quake-affected families. We have also launched the so-called Post-Disaster Needs Assessment process. It is a very important document we are jointly drafting with the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank. I avail myself of this opportunity to call for utmost commitment of all engineers during a 10-day period. We have prepared entire infrastructure. We have developed a form accepted also by our partners. A versatile software is also in place to ensure real-time data collection and have provided the tablet infrastructure for all groups of engineers, who will inspect damages on the ground. We started this process today. I am in contact with the Rector, with the heads of the engineering institutions and the relevant associations in a bid to engage as many engineers as possible in this process. It is what you said we need to identify the needs and the damage assessment that has been already done.
PM Edi Rama: In order to be efficient, given that this document was the highlight of this meeting and thanking each of you for the opinions and considerations you expressed, – I am very happy, which shows that while I am on the ground, when everyone says why only you, where the others are, they are actually doing their job – we will definitely consider your and other stakeholders’ suggestions about the document to ensure the legality of the process too in order for everyone to be safe in the new houses that will be built.
Thank you very much!
We will keep you informed of this. The first demonstration of the app will be made tomorrow and we will fully introduce it at the upcoming meeting.
Many thanks for contributing!