Local authorities call for end to speedboat ban

TIRANA, June 4 – A group of local authorities’ heads belonging to the opposition Socialists for the communes running along the seaside sent a letter to the lawmakers asking them to get rid of the moratorium banning the use of the speedboats from individuals.
The response from the governing democrats was immediate, eluding that ament to turn Albania again into a country of human and other illegal trafficking.
The moratorium was passed by the Albanian parliament the next year the democrats came to power in 2005 as an effort to stop one way of illegal traffic used to take across the Adriatic and Ionian seas into neighboring Greece or nearby Italy all forms of illegal trafficking of persons, drugs or weapons. That did give results and Albania is not considered any more a country of origin for such traffic.
But it also gave negative consequences as speedboats are a big attractive vehicle for tourists and tourism is a main resource of finances for the country. The moratorium does not inhibit foreigners or fishermen to use speedboats but it does stop Albanians.
Opposition Socialist commune or town hall heads from Durres, Vlore, Sarand묠Fier, Lushnje, Himar묠Orikum, Pogradec, Divjak묠Konispol, Kavaj묠Velipoj묠Sh쯧jin, Ish쭬 Golem, Kryevidh, Ksamil asked the parliament to ban themoratorium banning the use of the speedboats saying it “unfairly penalizes directly the economies and businesses in all our units.”
That was a call in support of the official request made by the opposition Socialistslawmakers at the parliament, one which was turned down.
They said that prohibiting the use of boats for two-thirds of the population running to their areas in summer was unfair.
“The use of the sea for our residents is not simply one more alternative but their strategic and vital resource,” the wrote in their letter, adding the moratorium had damaged them economically and has also violated the price of the residents “who in centuries have considered the sea a symbol of freedom.
That does not seem to have convinced the governing Democrats, who said that the moratorium has not decreased the number of tourists, but on the contrary.
A statement from the Democratic Party said that the speedboat moratorium was “the excellent lawyer Šthe guarantee for lifting the visa regime and the free movement into Europe.”
They said that the use of the speedboats is a way that illegal traffickers exploit.”
In 2010 Albanians were freed from the visa regime and they can now travel in all Europe’s Schengen regime countries. That was achieved after Albanian authorities complied with a set of requirements from the European Union, in which the border control was a main one.
Europe continues to keep a close eye on all the western Balkan countries enjoying such a right.
It is now simple for the Albanian citizens to travel to EU countries (except the UK and Ireland, which do not take part in the common visa policy) and non-EU members of the Schengen area (Switzerland, Norway and Iceland) for short-term periods of time.
Summer time seems to have been launched all over the Albanian seaside.
The last weekend showed that thousands of Albanians preferred to spend the time there.
That has also shown some deficiencies in the Albanian infrastructure. Despite efforts made by the local authorities and also central ones it seems there is still much more to be done to bring the areas in line with the international requirements for tourism.
Keeping the area clean and presence of running water are two fundamental ones which need not only words but more they need practical work to be accomplished.