Almost 500 taxis circulate in Tirana without a license, estimates the Head of the Association of the Taxis, G컩m Bardhi. Compared to that number, he says, in the capital city of Albania, no more than 428 taxis have their license. The ratio is greater than 1 to 1, asserts the association. Nearly 2600 taxi vehicles are running licensed throughout Albania. There are almost as many of those that go unlicensed, estimates the national Association of the Taxis. “The informal taxis have tripled” according to Panorama (8.06.2009). The head of the association, Mr. G컩m Bardhi, reports that regular taxis pay more than a million and a half Albanian lek롩n taxes per year.
The answer that association members have received when they have raised the problem of unfair and unregulated competition to Albanian authorities has been less than helpful and is descriptive of the multitude of problems that Albania is facing, among which are unemployment and the underground economy. Since no economic opportunities present themselves to hosts of unemployed from the mainstream economy, enterprising self-occupation and (thus informality) seem to be the only escapes out of the unemployment curse. “Where shall these other people make a living?” is the answer that regular taxi association members have been facing when they have put the issue to the authorities.
Though a private commentary, this quotation enlightens the regretful state of affairs in the Albanian economy. The responsibility of the state is being caused to be torn like a tug-of-war between needs of the state to maintain and develop itself through tax-collection, its inability to protect people who are exposed to unfair competition while following state policies and on the other hand unfair and disloyal behavior by those regulating these policies. However enterprising behaviors that could extract the state and Albanian society out of huge problems they face, like a deep unemployment depression, are harmful to those following the rules. An ordinance from the Ministry of Transports dated 25, 04, 2008 sees to liberalize the licensing process throughout the country by stipulating that the number of licenses issued at the national level for taxi services will not be limited. This, however, has not encouraged formalization, estimates G컩m Bardhi who pushes for fining and penalizing policy.
“If the law is not applied and its violators punished, we will be obliged to close our businesses and go into the black market,” declared Bardhi, who warns that the regular taxis will go on strike if their requests are not rightfully considered.
