TIRANA, Aug. 10 – Albanians are primarily concerned about unemployment, basic infrastructure – such as a reliable home water supply – and property rights, a series of reports published by Prime Minister Edi Rama this week show.
Rama held a series of public hearings with Albanians across the country in recent weeks and came up with the reports based on complaints in each of the country’s 12 counties. The reports also included the election results, voter turnout and other data.
The last report to be published was for the Tirana region, the country’s most populous region. Unemployment was a top concern. Key concerns listed also included a lack of a sufficient infrastructure and the absence of a sufficient potable water supply. Irrigation systems, property legalization issues, problems with electricity, retirement funds and food safety concerns were also on the list.
In neighboring Durres, the issues that concern the residents of the region included: An inadequate potable water supply, bad drainage systems that lead to floods, issues with property rights and a general lack of public investments to address the first two issues.
Following the win of the general elections in June, Rama traveled around the country to hold a series of public hearings as part of what he has called “a platform of co-governance with the Albanian people.” All of Rama’s reports noted the meetings had been open to the public and announced ahead of time to encourage high participation and critical voices.
