“Rozafa”, a leading fish processing and marketing company in Albania, plans to expand its business by building three new fish processing factories in the region of Perrenjas. The planned investment, strongly welcomed by the local residents, is expected to generate at least 100 new jobs in the first factory only, which according to the entrepreneur Gjergj Luca’s projections is set to become operational in one month’s time.

Prime Minister Edi Rama visited the area where the new project implementation has just started. The entrepreneur says he projects an investment worth EUR 10 000 for each employee and with the opening of two other new factories the number of employees will increase to over 250.  “The first factory will be built right here. We will then wait and see for the local residents’ reaction. Then we plan to go on with the construction of the second and third factory. The first factory will generate at least 100 new jobs. It is an investment worth around EUR 10 000 per each worker and this is a normal estimated cost in the fish processing industry and we think that local residents are welcoming us. We will then continue with the construction of two more factories that will create more than 250 new jobs,” Luca said.

Taulant Balla, lawmaker from this constituency, said the investment will expand further. According to him, another new factory with three drying, freezing and marinating lines, will open soon in the town of Gramsh, where more than 250 people will be employed and where a special species of cleaner fish is being grown.

The local residents welcome the investment as a great opportunity to boost employment and improve welfare in the area. “These are the only residents who haven’t abandoned this region,” says Luca, who is personally committed to providing employment for many poor and low-income individuals. “We will reconstruct his home and the husband and wife will also be employed at our factory,” he says while speaking about a local family.

MP Taulant Balla added that the area also has tremendous potential for the agri-tourism development in the future. “Given this space and the stunning nature, agri-tourism industry will develop in this area in a near future. A growing number of Macedonian citizens are visiting Elbasan,” he said.