WB: 1.1 billion USD of investments for the next 5 years
25/02/2015 00:00
The Washington Agreement Must Be Reactivated! 06/01 19:04
The World Bank introduced a 5-year plan at the Commission of Economy for
the cooperation with Albania, which promises to keep record-breaking
levels of financing.
“We have a program with new financial commitments of more than 200 million each year. There are 1.1 billion USD in total for the next five years. We will fund three new projects each year, including budget support for the macro-economic sector, financial support and business climate projects”, declared Tahseen Sayed, Head of the World Bank in Tirana.
According to the bank, there will be 15 projects that will be financed by 2019, all focused on different sectors for supporting the economic growth.
WB: We support the energy reform
The WB representative answered to many questions posed by the MPs, but the hottest topic was that of funding the energy sector, a question made by the Democratic Party MP, Sherefedin Shehu.
“We support the reform that the government is implementing in the energy field for recovering the sector, which is in a deep crisis. As regards its effect on the poor people, there is a protective scheme that gives 640 ALL for the increased price. The mechanisms are there. The key question for Albania is if it possible that the energy theft can continue in eternity. Is it possible that half of the people consume and do not pay energy?”, Tahseen Sayed declared.
Mr.Shehu thinks that the reforms that the bank is financing in the energy sector is going against its goal, because it is deepening the poverty.
“300 kilowatts cost 3500 ALL. The average social assistance is 1700 ALL. We know that there are at least 150.000 families that cannot pay the energy. I think that you should have been more careful when financing sectors that increase poverty. This is against the objective of the World Bank”, Shehu declared.
“I don’t think that the Bank has done any wrongdoing, damage or crime while applying for their projects in Albania. They have not supported or consumed them. I wanted to thank the Bank of Albania for their commitment in Albania during the past 24 years, and especially for their focus in helping this country and the social categories, and for improving their social protection systems”, declared the Chairman of the Commission of Economy, Erjon Brace.
The World Bank has the biggest financing in Albania, with a total of 1.4 billion USD”.
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