Construction of 22 more residential buildings is nearing completion in the municipality of Kruja, with 336 more quake-affected local families slated to move into their new apartments ahead of the New Year eve on December 31. Meanwhile, the post-earthquake reconstruction programme is in full swing in other quake-affected areas across Albania.

Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, and Kruja Mayor Artur Bushi, toured the site to inspect progress of the construction work.

“An additional funding of 12 billion lek has been allocated, increasing the funding for the post-earthquake reconstruction programme for 2023 to 17 billion lek and we are confident that sufficient funding is provided to support the ongoing construction works on all sites and therefore all municipalities will now have the opportunity to advance work. A stock of around 3500 apartments have been already delivered or will be delivered until year-end, as well as more than 2200 single family homes, taking the total of constructed housing units to around 6000 to date,” Deputy Prime Minister Balluku said, adding that “as to the program on the educational infrastructure, more than 143 schools, mainly included in the EU EU4Schools programme, which are already operational as of September this year.

“Progress is being made with the reconstruction programme. We have reestablished coordination with all quake-affected municipalities, except Shijak Municipality where the reconstruction has already completed. We expect to complete the post-earthquake reconstruction programme alsi in Rrogozhine, Kavaje and Vore, whereas work will continue in Durrës and Lezhe,” Balluku added.

“The new residential buildings feature underground parking spaces, lift and communal spaces for the families that have shown patience while waiting for construction of these buildings to complete. The new buildings and their new homes and apartments are more resilient, much more beautiful and much safer than the ones they lost in the devastating earthquake. The project here was delayed mostly because of the property claims that took time to be resolved. This has been the case also in other reconstruction sites, but here was more serious,” Prime Minister Edi Rama said.

In addition to construction of new residential buildings, work is also about to complete on reinforcement of 43 existing buildings and thermal insulation systems as being installed.