Italians urged to invest in Albania

TIRANA, Feb. 2 – Vying to attract more foreign investment and generate jobs, Albanian Prime Minister Rama has used a two-day visit to Italy to present Albania as an attractive place for Italian investors.
Rama said Italian investors would be welcomed to Albania with incentives such as virtually free facilities offered by the state to open up a business.
Rama said Albania is a prime choice for Italian businesses because the Adriatic republic is close to them geographically, it has a low labor costs, attractive tax system and strong government support for any investment that creates jobs.
He also urged them to come to Albania, a country very rich in water resources, many of which are not used. There is also plenty to do in the agricultural sector.
Albania has laws on the books from the previous administration that allow the government to offer state-owned property to be rented to investors for one euro, and the new government says it will make use of them and approve new incentives as needed.
In a meeting with BOSCH Group, Rama introduced the reforms of the new Albanian government, aimed at bringing Albania closer to Europe.
These reforms consist in the fight against organized crime and crime in general and the fight against corruption. Rama also spoke about the administrative reforms that affect the absorption of foreign investment and structural reforms required for membership in the European Union.
Albania has applied for EU candidate status and it is expecting to get it in June. Last December EU, urged by UK, Germany, France, Denmark and Netherlands, asked Tirana to show more tangible results in the fight against organized crime and corruption.
As it stands, Italy is Albania’s largest trading partner and a key proponent for the country’s membership in the European Union.