FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
US Alert for Albania: Corruption, Money Laundering and Property Robbery with the Help of the Courts
Prime Minister Rama's government continues to receive slaps from the US. The US State Department has published the 2025 report on the investment climate, and corruption and money laundering are seen as the biggest problems.
According to the report provided by "Pamfleti", informal money, mainly from drug trafficking, has disrupted the balance in the market.
The problems listed by the State Department are: corruption in the public sector, judiciary, and public procurement; unfair and distorted competition; a large informal economy; money laundering; frequent changes in fiscal legislation; property rights, and poor contract enforcement.
“ The emigration of young and skilled workers has created labor shortages that affect investment prospects. The business community reports that the large flow of illicit income from drug trafficking, smuggling, tax evasion, and corruption distorts competition in the market. Investors report that they may be targets of extortion by public administration, the media, and criminal groups ,” the report says.
Corruption is also seen as a problem. Although Rama claims to crack down on corruption with tenders through Diella, for DASH, this sector is among the most problematic.
“ Reports of corruption in government procurement are common, with investors frequently reporting instances of government corruption that delay and deter investment in Albania. The continued use of public-private partnership (PPP) contracts has reduced opportunities for competition, including from foreign investors, in infrastructure and other sectors. Poor analysis and a lack of technical expertise in the design and monitoring of PPP contracts are ongoing concerns. Some U.S. investors have faced contentious commercial disputes with public and private entities, including some that have gone to international arbitration ,” it further states.
The report notes that property rights continue to be a challenge in Albania, as it is difficult to obtain a clear title to land. It says there have been cases of individuals allegedly manipulating the judicial system to obtain illegal land titles. Overlapping title deeds are widespread.
Excerpt from the report
Foreign direct investment from the United States accounts for a small but growing share. At the end of 2024, foreign direct investment in the United States stock in Albania, according to the Bank of Albania, reached $382 million, up from $300 million at the end of 2023 (Albanian government data).
Albania has vast economic potential, a sound legal framework, and has made progress in curbing petty corruption by digitizing public services for both citizens and businesses. Albania’s score on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index improved from 37 to 42 out of 100 in 2024. However, foreign investors continue to perceive Albania as a difficult place to do business. They cite ongoing challenges for investment and doing business in Albania due to:
-corruption in the public sector, judiciary and public procurement;
-unfair and distorted competition;
-a large informal economy;
-money laundering;
-frequent changes in fiscal legislation;
-property rights; and
-poor contract enforcement.
The emigration of young and skilled workers has created labor shortages that affect investment prospects. The business community reports that the large flow of illegal income from drug trafficking, smuggling, tax evasion, and corruption distorts competition in the market. Investors report that they can be targets of extortion by public administration, the media, and criminal groups.
Reports of corruption in government procurement are common, with investors frequently reporting instances of government corruption that delay and deter investment in Albania. The continued use of public-private partnership (PPP) contracts has reduced opportunities for competition, including from foreign investors, in infrastructure and other sectors. Poor analysis and a lack of technical expertise in the design and monitoring of PPP contracts are ongoing concerns. Some U.S. investors have faced contentious commercial disputes with public and private entities, including some that have gone to international arbitration.
Property rights continue to be a challenge in Albania, as it is difficult to obtain clear title to land. There have been cases of individuals allegedly manipulating the judicial system to obtain illegal land titles. Overlapping property titles are widespread. The compensation process for land confiscated by the former communist regime remains cumbersome, inefficient, and inadequate. The government has stated its intention to address this problem, but progress has been limited.
Për të adresuar korrupsionin sistemik, Shqipëria miratoi ndryshime të gjera kushtetuese për të reformuar sistemin gjyqësor të vendit dhe për të përmirësuar sundimin e ligjit në vitin 2016. Shqipëria ka organe funksionale dhe të pavarura kundër korrupsionit, duke përfshirë Zyrën e Prokurorisë Speciale (ZPS) dhe Byronë Kombëtare të Hetimit (NBI), të cilat janë pjesë e Strukturës Speciale Kundër Korrupsionit dhe Krimit të Organizuar (SPAK). Reforma gjyqësore mbështetet fuqimisht nga Shtetet e Bashkuara dhe BE-ja, dhe zbatimi është duke vazhduar, me shpresën se suksesi i saj përfundimisht do të përmirësojë klimën e investimeve në vend.
Zbatimi i reformës gjyqësore që filloi në vitin 2016 përfshinte verifikimin e gjyqtarëve dhe prokurorëve. Më shumë se gjysma e gjyqtarëve dhe prokurorëve që iu nënshtruan verifikimit janë shkarkuar nga puna për pasuri të pashpjegueshme ose lidhje me krimin e organizuar, ose kanë dhënë dorëheqjen për të shmangur verifikimin. Si pjesë e procesit të anëtarësimit në BE, BE pret që Shqipëria të intensifikojë hetimet e rasteve të profilit të lartë, të krijojë një historik të padive për raste të korrupsionit të nivelit të lartë dhe pastrimit të parave, dhe të hetojë gjyqtarët dhe prokurorët, verifikimi i të cilëve zbuloi sjellje të mundshme kriminale. Komuniteti i biznesit vlerëson progresin e reformës në drejtësi në luftën kundër korrupsionit dhe në dhënien fund të pandëshkueshmërisë, por shpreh shqetësime se vendet e lira të krijuara në gjyqësor kanë ngadalësuar gjykimin e çështjeve, duke krijuar një numër të madh çështjesh të prapambetura në gjykata, veçanërisht në Gjykatën e Apelit dhe Gjykatën Administrative të Apelit.
Investitorët në Shqipëri kanë të drejtë për mbrojtje gjyqësore të të drejtave ligjore që lidhen me investimet e tyre. Investitorët e huaj kanë të drejtë të paraqesin mosmarrëveshjet në një gjykatë shqiptare. Përveç kësaj, palët në një mosmarrëveshje mund të bien dakord për arbitrazh. Shumë investitorë të huaj ankohen se korrupsioni gjyqësor dhe procedurat joefikase gjyqësore dëmtojnë mbrojtjen gjyqësore në Shqipëri dhe kërkojnë arbitrazh ndërkombëtar për të zgjidhur mosmarrëveshjet. Mund të jetë e dobishme për investitorët amerikanë të marrin në konsideratë përfshirjen e klauzolave detyruese të arbitrazhit ndërkombëtar në çdo marrëveshje me homologët shqiptarë.
Emigrimi i fuqisë punëtore të re dhe të kualifikuar ka krijuar mungesa të fuqisë punëtore që ndikojnë në perspektivat e investimeve. Komuniteti i biznesit raporton se fluksi i madh i të ardhurave të paligjshme nga trafiku i drogës, kontrabanda, evazioni fiskal dhe korrupsioni shtrembëron konkurrencën në treg. Investitorët raportojnë se mund të jenë objektiva të zhvatjes nga administrata publike, media dhe grupet kriminale.
Reports of corruption in government procurement are common, with investors frequently reporting instances of government corruption that delay and deter investment in Albania. The continued use of public-private partnership (PPP) contracts has reduced opportunities for competition, including from foreign investors, in infrastructure and other sectors. Poor analysis and a lack of technical expertise in the design and monitoring of PPP contracts are ongoing concerns. Some U.S. investors have faced contentious commercial disputes with public and private entities, including some that have gone to international arbitration.
Property rights continue to be a challenge in Albania, as it is difficult to obtain clear title to land. There have been cases of individuals allegedly manipulating the judicial system to obtain illegal land titles. Overlapping property titles are widespread. The compensation process for land confiscated by the former communist regime remains cumbersome, inefficient, and inadequate. The government has stated its intention to address this problem, but progress has been limited.
To address systemic corruption, Albania adopted broad constitutional amendments to reform the country’s judicial system and improve the rule of law in 2016. Albania has functional and independent anti-corruption bodies, including the Special Prosecution Office (SPO) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which are part of the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). Judicial reform is strongly supported by the United States and the EU, and implementation is ongoing, with the hope that its success will ultimately improve the country’s investment climate.
The implementation of the judicial reform that began in 2016 included the vetting of judges and prosecutors. More than half of the judges and prosecutors who were subject to vetting have been dismissed for unexplained wealth or links to organized crime, or have resigned to avoid vetting. As part of the EU accession process, the EU expects Albania to intensify investigations of high-profile cases, establish a track record of prosecutions for high-level corruption and money laundering cases, and investigate judges and prosecutors whose vetting revealed possible criminal conduct. The business community appreciates the progress of the justice reform in the fight against corruption and in ending impunity, but expresses concerns that vacancies created in the judiciary have slowed down the adjudication of cases, creating a large backlog of cases in the courts, especially in the Court of Appeal and the Administrative Court of Appeal. /Pamphlet
Dhe cfare kuptimi ka, qe flitet per dicka qe ketu ne Shqiperi e di i madh e i vogel, lidhjet interesat suporti kriminal, lavatricet e parave te pista etj etj, kur vazhdon e njejta situate?! Nese keto jane dhe informacine nderkombetare qe vijne nga BE dhe Amerika atehere si ka mundesi qe kokoshi jone vazhdon e krekoset sikur eshte maje plehut!!!!
Kercenim e shantazh dine edhe ata, madje me shume se ne !!! varet ca duan e nuk ua jep ky, po ben kurven sa me njerin kre shteti, sa me tjetrin (gojen njerit, menderen tjetrit)