“Electoral asphalt”, municipalities tender millions of euros for road repairs before local elections
06/04/2023 21:04
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Fiks Fare investigative program on Top Channel recently investigated dozens of municipal tender documents, where it is noted that all of them have done dozens of procedures for construction and patching of local and rural roads, for which residents say that the works are of poor quality, carried out only before elections.
Electricity, running water and roads have been the promises of Albanian politicians during these 30 years of democracy.
But, leaving aside lights and water, in the local elections of May 14, 2023, the headlines are the roads, or what is known as the ‘electoral asphalt’.
Local elections have brought an investment boom in all municipalities.
Fiks Fare made an observation at the Public Procurement Agency, where it found that all municipalities have recently opened tenders for local and rural road works.
Filling pits, buying asphalt and gravel. All have been put in motion with a sole purpose; completion of these roads before May 14, the date of the local election.
After this observation, the journalists traveled to the territory of the Municipality of Durrës, where was opened a tender with the object of “reconstruction of the roads in the city”.
The limit fund for this tender was ALL 41 million. The document states that the envelopes will be opened on April 5, 2023, while the duration of the contract will be 42 days.
By doing a simple calculation, it turns out that the 42 days end exactly on the date of the elections, that is, on May 14.
The municipality has calculated that the works need be carried out quickly.
In the preventive measures of this tender are listed several roads to be repaired and asphalted, from Shkozeti, to Plazhi, to other neighborhoods.
Journalists talk to residents of the area, who state that the municipal employees have taken measurements, promised the road and want to finish before the elections.
Some claim that these roads have not been maintained for 30 years and are skeptical they will be built before the elections.
Others claim that “if they do it, we will vote for them “. The Fiks Fare group also traveled to Elbasan, where the municipality of this city made a tender a few weeks ago with the object of “reconstruction and re-asphalting of the existing roads and squares in Elbasan Municipality.
The fund for this tender was 151 million ALL, or 1.5 million euros. The duration of this contract is 12 months, while the winner has now been announced. The program also went to the city of Cërrik, where the municipality has opened 3 procedures for paving roads and closing sewage pits with the greatest speed. The first tender was worth 48 million ALL, the second worth 10 million and the third worth 22 million ALL.
Top Channel
