The Head of the Agency of Legalisation Urbanisation and Integration of
Informal Zone/Building, Artan Lame, declared today that they have sent a
file at the Prosecution about the abuses with legalizations.
According to Lame, people connected with the power and politics have legalized constructions built in protected areas, or objects that have not been built at all.
According to Lame, only in 2013 there have been 7800 legalized objects in protected areas, close to archeological parks or important areas of the capital, all in illegal procedures.
Ilir Paco, Top Channel: “Mr.Lame, you declared that most of the 22.000 legalization permits in the past six years are abusive. This is a general declaration. Can you give us a more concrete figure about the number of abusive permits?
Artan Lame, head of Agency of Legalisation Urbanisation and Integration of Informal Zone/Building – If we will count each abusive case, we would have to close our institution, because we would be working only with the past and not with the future. I said today, with some kind of black humor, that we need a parallel agency for repairing the damage done by the Agency of Legalisation Urbanisation and Integration of Informal Zone/Building. I can say that from 7800 permits in 2013, 6000 are abusive. The interests of the citizens, the community and the state have been violated. This means that this is about what you said in your news report. Legalizations in protected areas, parks, monuments and kindergartens, especially in the past years, and especially in 2013. During this year, the Agency of Legalisation Urbanisation and Integration of Informal Zone/Building turned into an institution that has only damaged the citizens.
Ilir Paço, “TCH” – You said that there were legalization of non-existing buildings, on national parks, archeological objects, schools, seaside and other similar places, which has brought a corruption bill. What’s this corruption bill? Concretely, even in this case?
Artan Lame – It’s a tragedy of its own. They have legalized in areas where there is no building, just to take the ownership of the land. That’s how they have sold interesting properties, which the law would have never allowed. With these procedures they have bought parcels of land, and they have also created photos with fake objects like scene props. There are such objects even in the Tirana Park and the Block, for objects that do not exist.
Ilir Paço, “TCH” – Since we are talking about the legalization, this issue is one of the motives of the opposition’s protest. Is there any contradiction between the Prime Minister’s promise for free legalizations, and your declaration of a few days ago that there will be no free legalizations?
Artan Lame – This has turned into a daily advertisement for the opposition, and this is a problem for 200.000 Albanian families. The Agency of Legalisation Urbanisation and Integration of Informal Zone/Building is really in a very terrible dilemma. We turned into a credible institution because we treat 1680 complaints a week. Citizens come to complain about further legalizations. This shows that on one side they have found a door where they can knock, and on the other hand, they have given us a terrible burden with the absurd situation that we have to solve. A situation created by an administration that has created only problems. I presented the list of directors and chiefs who have been removed from duty for these violations. I am convinced that must of them will protest tomorrow for wanting to return to their jobs, and the Democratic Party is asking for them to return. I would love to hear each of them, every single name and surname, of those who want to return to their jobs. Let’s not forget that there are thousands of citizens who are waiting for the fine to pay for the legalizations. Let them give the names of everyone who wants to return to their jobs from that list.
Ilir Paço, “TCH” – What is the solution of this situation, which is what interests most to the Albanian citizens?
Artan Lame – The institution is open for every state institution that wants to make audits, the Prosecution General or Courts. But we can’t see only from the past in this moment. We found a solution with the property registration. They took the files that had not been completed, and we are trying to avoid the sins that have been made on terrain, the big fines that were about to be given to the old generation. Only at the Tirana Park there are dozens of legalized objects, eight only between the University and the national Guard. There are a series of legalized objects and what the Tirana Regulation plan foresees for constructions is even more serious. Legalizations at the park have continued even in the past two years. We need to save at least these areas, the national roads, the southern coastline, and our entire country, because there are legalizations even on water streams. This was the solution that we found, which is doing the indispensable minimum. We need to cancel cases that leave a very heavy burden, and we need to look forward to follow massively the legalization process for the rest of the citizens, and refer to the system.
Lame’s interview on Top Channel’s main news edition concluded with an appeal to the Albanian citizens. The Head of Agency of Legalisation Urbanisation and Integration of Informal Zone/Building asks them to present their concerns in the 14 tolls that are open for citizens.
Top Channel
