A business attractive Albania

Albania tops the list of preferred business places in the Balkans, according to a survey realized by GfK Macedonia between the 15th and 17th of June 2009. The local press (Gazeta Albania, Republika, 3.07.2009) reports that Albania is followed by Serbia and Bulgaria as second and third preferred business destinations in the region. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which formerly held a favorable position in the view of possible foreign investors, is gradually losing ground. Over 40 % of those questioned have responded negatively concerning the business climate in the FYROM. They have filed the judiciary system bureaucracy and cadastral indisposition among other problems as major obstacles for doing business in the FYROM. 48 % of the questioned have rated neighboring countries as offering better investment possibilities.
GfK Group, with headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, boasts to be, “one of the largest market research companies in the world, covering more than 100 countries.” The quoted survey was carried out by the Council of Foreign Investors of GfK – Skopje (FYROM). The group has recently opened an office in Albania. This office was operative in May 2009. During the last GfK Conference “Consumer and Crisis – Threat or Opportunity”, organized by GfK – Skopje on the 6th of May 2009, Adlej Pici, Managing Director of GfK – Albania, presented important information in his report “Albania – The Latest Stone in the Balkan Mosaic”.
This report reminded that Albania has gained 49 ranking places in the World Bank’s global business survey for 2009, climbing to the 86th position from the 135th which the country occupied in 2008.