Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama at the distribution ceremony of free legalization permits in Elbasan:

Thank you very much!

Today, we stayed all morning long in your area. I am very pleased that the road to close a large wound in Elbasan, in the whole area where you live, is finally opened. This wound has tormented the organization of this whole area for many years. It is the wound of the fields of fertilizers, which, as you well know, has been suffocating the city and the surrounding area every night by the poisons generated from the burning of garbage in the streets for over twenty years.

So today, we visited the newly opened construction site of a new technologic plant, which is the first of its kind in our country, with higher standards, to ensure not only the destruction of garbage with high quality and without generating poisons, but also to generate electricity by burning garbage, part of which will be used for greenhouses, providing power with a much lower price to farmers who cultivate products in greenhouses.

This being said, we planned this meeting today because, as you know, Elbasan bears a considerable share of the burden of illegal constructions and informal settlements. Looking at the figures of the past 8 years, I noticed that more legalizations have been made in Elbasan in less than a year after the Department of ALUIZNI started working – since during the first the whole new staff were engaged in finding and resettling abandoned documents that were left roads – than in eight years together. However, there is still much to do, because the number of self declarations here is very large and the number of families waiting for legalizations is also considerable.

However, even today when 550 other legalization permits are being distributed, we are pride to say that we are keeping our commitments with the language of concrete facts, and we will totally keep the commitment and provide free legalizations for all families living in informal settlements. No family, that has built a home to have a better live in these areas, will remain without legalizations and without becoming the legitimate owners of their own labour.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the employees of ALUIZNI who have faced a large work influx and have managed to successfully provide quick answers to all of you and to those like you, who have waited behind ALUIZNI’s doors for eight years, and never got the legalization permits. You are all witnesses that ALUIZNI has come to your homes, made measurements, helped you fill out the forms, and the result of this work and service by ALUIZNI is the provision of these permits today.

Thank you!

Now, as you have seen on TV, we are doing a symbolic distribution of some permits, but all of you will receive your permits because you have been waiting for them for many years, and I will not leave until you receive them today. This is also done also to convey a message to all like you who are waiting for legalizations, that this process is being carried forward and step by step, all permits will be issued and legalization will be performed free of charge, as we have committed.

 

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550 legalization permits were distributed today in Elbasan to residents of informal settlements, thus fulfilling and one of the main promises of this majority: free legalization.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Rama, accompanied by the Director General of ALUIZNI Artan Lame, Mayor of Elbasan Qazim Sejdini and MPs of this county.

A total of 3500 files have been processed in a year and a half by the Regional Directorate of ALUIZNI in Elbasan. 550 of these files were distributed to citizens today. This number totals the files distributed in the past eight years taken together. The rest of files are being processed to be handed over to the citizens. This process is continues on a daily basis.

Director General of ALUIZNI, Artan Lame, recalled some of the problems present in the area of Elbasan regarding the legalization process. He added that appropriate interventions are being carried out to solve these problems. More specifically, he noted that the works started in landfill sites in Elbasan open the path for the legalization of 2-3 informal settlements, which until now were considered not to be legalized because of pollution.

“One of these areas is the area of Zaranika stream, which has been abandoned. Let me tell you that we received your concerns 2-3 weeks before, and we have discussed to include it in informal settlements. The issue of Elbasan’s landfill opens the way for legalization in 2-3 other informal areas, which are considered to date as polluted areas in which legalization were could not be made”, Lame noted.

Another problem, according to him, is the legalization of illegal constructions within the protected areas of the city. On this issued, ALUIZNI is collaborating with the Institute of Monuments in order to enable authentication for these objects. “Together with the Institute of Monuments, we are trying to find a middle way, to tell these people to make these necessary changes in the project they have built, and we will have the opportunity to make the legalization”- Artan Lame said.

In addition, Prime Minister Rama personally handed over to citizens some of the 550 legalization permits. Many of these citizens applied for legalization of houses in 2005-2006.

Mr. Tajar Brahja, one of the citizens who received the legalization permits, said that he applied in 2005. “I applied 10 years ago and all this time I have wasted time behind ALUIZNI doors”.

Qemal Çota, from the Municipality Librazhd, was another paterfamilias who received the legalization permit. The Prime Minister noted that, according to ALUIZNI data, the previous government of the years 2005-2013 gave only one legalization permit in 8 years. “I have been waiting for this day for 20 years” – Qemal Cota said while receiving the legalization permit.

The family of Syrja Hasani from Elbasan applied also in 2006. “I am very happy to receive this certificate of ownership today. Thank you very much to you and the Directorate of ALUIZNI. I applied in 2006, and we were told we had to pay 5 million ALL. Now, we didn’t pay anything. We received the legalization permit for free. Thank you very much! “- Mrs. Hasani said.

Tomorri Topuzi from Labinot Fushe received the legalization permit for a facility built for business purposes. “I have been working for 22 years. This permit gives to my activity and to the asset created with sacrifices the value of business. This is unbelievable”.

While distributing the legalization permits, the Prime Minister assured once again all citizens across the country that the process is moving forward step by step, and legalizations permits are being granted for free, as this government committed.