Berisha clashes with Bode for local authorities

TIRANA, Dec. 5 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Wednesday clashed with his Finance Minister, Ridvan Bode, regarding requests from mayors from throughout the country.
Berisha and other ministers held a meeting with mayors, including Edi Rama, Tirana mayor and also leader of the main opposition Socialist party.
As expected, mayors introduced their requests for higher funding and many more projects, requests which were often considered by the minister as baseless or beyond Albania’s budget conditions.
At that moment, Berisha came out in support of the mayors, rejecting Bode’s negative responses.
The meeting discussed remnants and tourism and a series of problems encountered by local authorities in Albania, one of Europe’s poorest countries.
The government also decided to legalize and allow local auhtorities to ask for loans. “That is an extraordinary positive and improtant step so that our cities apply importnat developing policies for their citizens,” said Berisha.
The premier also urged all the government institutions to speed up efforts on decentralization of the powers, a move that is required and considerrd obligatory along the integration efforts into the European Uinion.