The Albanian citizens have paid a record-breaking high price for the Durres-Kukes highway.
The price is very expensive not only for the region but for all Europe. Official data say that the budget has paid 1.2 billion EUR for a 170 km long highway.
This is one of the rare cases when 13% of the total GDP goes for the construction of a single public road.
But this number is not the total bill that Albanians have paid for the road.
Before its construction, citizens had paid 200 million EUR through the “Pandeli Majko Tax”. The money, however, was used by the government for other purposes.
The total is 1.4 billion ALL, and 0nly as a direct bill. The real cost gets even higher due to other consequences on the state budget.
From 2008 to 2009 the government increased the public debt by 6% in two years. This has increased debt interests and also a record-breaking devaluation of the Albanian Lek, within a very short time.
Albania’s public debt kept growing after 2009, reaching 73% of the GDP.
The global debt made it even more difficult in the upcoming years. The Durres-Kukes road was the first for the state finances, while the costs are being paid by citizens even today.
Compared to 2012, the government has increased the fiscal burden by 400 million EUR a year. But this money is not enough to liquidate the road bill.
For the next 30 years, the Albanian citizens will pay 400 million EUR for its maintenance.
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