Another debt for Levan-Vlore highway

The draft increases with 42.8% the cost of the road that was given with tender five years ago, and that should had been finished in 2009. The government says that the price increase came for several reasons, one of which is the fact that the initial project was wrong.

“After the construction work started, the supervisor of this project, which is an Italian company, noted that one of the main asphalt layers was missing in the project, and they changed it for including it too”, declared Ernest Noka, Deputy Minister of Transports.

The Ministry of Transports’ representatives said that the project mistakes have been consumed since 2008, admitting that the loan is being taken for paying due bills.

“These are our obligations to the company, which the company has paid on its own. We have the obligation to pay it all”, declared Ylli Gjoni, vice director of roads.

Socialist MP, Mimi Kodheli, declared that these additional costs are another burden on the citizens’ back, due to a big corruptive affair.

“After receiving the information that we requested from you, which we hope we will have, we will be able to give a public explanation about this affair that is not decent for any government”, Kodheli declared.

“It is not true that this is an expensive project. On the contrary, this is the cheapest road in Albania, with 2.46 million EUR per kilometer, which you cannot find in any highway that has its parameters”, declared Edmond Spaho.

The tender for the Levan-Vlore road was given in 2007, with a cost of 42 million EUR. According to the legal deadlines, the construction should have finished in 2009, but the project has been delayed and the government is now approving the draft that increased its cost with 18 million EUR or 42.8%.

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