Almost one year before the local elections and on the verge of the new
local territorial division, local governments are almost inactive. The
Minister for Local Government, Blendi Cuci, said they don’t offer
services or investments.
“Our data show that local revenues in a national scale were used for payments and personnel, without securing returns for any service or public investment”, Cuci declared.
This is one of the elements showing the current local government model has failed. None of the municipalities is able to administer their territories, urban planning or environment.
Only 0.2% of 385 communes in our country can keep themselves through local taxes. Most are kept by the central government’s budget and Albanian citizens pay 25 million USD each year for local governments.
“This shows that the current local government model has been exhausted”, Cuci declared.
This conclusion made the Albanian government plan a decentralizations strategy 15 years after the last and only one ever made in our country.
With support from USAID, the strategy that will affect some local government laws is expected to be complete together with the new territorial division by June.
The United States Ambassador to Tirana, Alexander Arvizu, declared that this is the right moment for these reforms. He stated that the United States government, which offered funds and technical assistance, supports the realization of these reforms within the given terms.
“It is our hope and expectative for both processes to be coordinated and implemented on time. We congratulate the Albanian government for their ambitious schedule to produce a decentralization strategy within June. We wish the best for the Albanian citizens and we support this initiative, which aims producing a more effective and more responsible local government for all Albanian citizens”, Arvizu declared.
The United States diplomat added that he encourages everyone to take this opportunity for building the necessary consensus.
“We have reiterated that the United States government and its embassy see constructive and open dialogue as a vital element for an effective government in a democratic society. We need more constructive dialogue. If I stayed here and kept offending you, or if I used all kinds of names for you or your families, it might be amusing for people, but it would not help the progress with this work”, Arvizu declared.
Asking permission to be clear and direct, The United States Ambassador stated that the territorial reforms and decentralization should be seen as a national priority.
“This is important for this government and the United States government. Let me reiterate this: for the United States and the Albanian governments. I wish you luck with this new project, and I want to mention that we will follow this matter closely”, Arvizu declared.
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