“We must accept that businesses face many difficulties which in a nutshell are related to failure to solve property issues, shortcomings in the implementation of economic freedom for businesses and failure to efficiently tackle corruption,” said Luan Bregasi.
TIRANA, Oct. 3 – Business representatives have reiterated their appeal to the Albanian political class to reach consensus on the establishment of the administrative courts system, a bill which requires a qualified majority of 84 votes and whose approval has been postponed for two years because of ongoing political stalemate. The latest call came from Business Albania, an association which blamed the political conflicts for failure to approve this law designed to reduce opportunities for corruption, improve transparency in the judicial system, strengthen the rule of law, boost citizen trust in public institutions, and further align Albania’s judicial system with required European Union integration standards. “If the political class had reached a deal, the law on the establishment of the Administrative Court bill would have been approved and as a result, many problems businesses face today would have been solved faster and we would not be waiting 3 to 4 years to solve administrative cases in court offices,” said Luan Bregasi, the head of Business Albania. However. the opposition’s return to Parliament and the bill being put back on Parliament’s agenda may soon give an end to this long-standing demand by Albanian businesses. Opposition Socialist MPs have requested that the law is turned back for discussion in parliamentary commission before being given the final approval. Failure to approve the administrative courts bill cost Albania the cancellation of 16 million dollars of US government funds in October 2010. Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth, who was also invited in the Business Albania forum, described administrative courts as an important step for Albania’s European integration. “While integration into the global world and European integration are certainly key goals, as I understand it, for the Albanian nation, important steps need to be taken and administrative courts is certainly one of them. So, I am sure that for all of you here, or most of you here in Business Albania, steps ahead would help to facilitate business and to facilitate also – what is normal in business – solve open questions. What is extremely important also is compliance, compliance including a maximum working against corruption, making processes transparent,” said Wollfarth. Despite reforms government has taken to promote employment and investments as well as business environment, businesses still face a lot of problems. “We must accept that businesses face many difficulties which in a nutshell are related to failure to solve property issues, shortcomings in the implementation of economic freedom for businesses and failure to efficiently tackle corruption,” said Luan Bregasi. Tender abuse Abuse with public tenders was another issue of concern the Business Albania association raised, accusing government of lack of competition and high level of corruption. Luan Bregasi said that in many cases government-funded projects are awarded without a race and in many cases companies winning them are closely connected to power. OSCE Ambassador Wollfarth also emphasized the need for transparency in public tenders. “What is extremely important also is compliance, compliance including a maximum working against corruption, making processes transparent. Public tenders is certainly an important example. Another important example, and I do not want to spell all out, is permits. Or concessions. The line is very long. It is very important that it is competitive, that it is a win-win situation,” added Wollfarth.
