TIRANA, Sept 3 /ATA/ The Chairman of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, on Wednesday spoke out against the establishment of the National Water Operator.
Berisha told a press conference that fortunately, thousands upon thousands of tourists visit Albania daily—amounting to millions—but the so-called ‘Maldives of Europe’ has begun to lose its allure. The situation continues to deteriorate with each passing day. Albania is increasingly perceived as a nation marred by inadequate sewage management and a significant water scarcity, despite being one of the most water-rich countries in Europe.
Berisha noted that the National Water Agency is now being discussed, replacing the National Water Council, which mainly served as a regulatory body similar to that of the Electric Energy sector.
“After dissolving the Council and appointing himself as Chairman of the National Water Council, Edi Rama now appears poised to dissolve it entirely and transfer its responsibilities to an agency, so that the water utility funds can be siphoned off directly by them, rather than by the mayors,” said the leader of the Democratic Party.
“Is there anything more ridiculous, more shameful, than to hear a Prime Minister—who has been in office for 12 years—say that the water utilities are filled with incompetent people and party militants? Who filled them with incompetents and militants, the opposition?!” emphasized Berisha.
Berisha criticized the removal of key municipal duties as driven by an insatiable desire for personal gain, even exploiting small opportunities like waste management.
Berisha asserted that “the decentralization of local government during the dictatorship was considerably greater than it is today. A villager seeking to construct a house would submit the necessary documentation to the Executive Committee or local authority and receive a permit. The construction had to comply with the ‘yellow line,’ which constituted the urban planning framework of the dictatorship. Within this boundary, no payments were required— to be candid, none whatsoever—other than those for the project and, possibly, fees for an engineer involved in the process.”
Berisha claimed that since Edi Rama took control, bribery in construction projects has increased tenfold, with all projects requiring his approval.
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