Albania faces serious challenges in attracting foreign investors

TIRANA, June 1 – Albania faces serious challenges in being attractive to foreign investors due to issues related to poor infrastructure, access to financing, workforce training and promotion of investment opportunities, according to a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The OECD report show shows all countries in the region are trying hard to be competitive through their tax policies, and in this field Albania fares better than most in the region.
The need for foreign investment in Albania’s is higher than ever, as the country is facing the effects of the global economic crisis. Official data shows that last year there was a decline in foreign investment.
With a total of 698 million euro, there has been a modest increase, just 3.4 percent compared with double-digit annual growth of 40 percent realized in 2008.
The ratio of net foreign direct investment to GDP for 2009 was 8.1 percent, the lowest compared with other countries in the region.