TIRANA, April 2 /ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday engaged in a dialogue with students in the “Liria” hall at Qyteti Studenti, focusing on the progress of Albania’s negotiations with the European Union. In response to a question from a student regarding the fight against corruption, Rama stated that corruption in Albania is currently perceived to be far greater than it is in reality, although he acknowledged that it remains a persistent problem.
Rama said corruption persists because Albania’s institutions are still in the process of consolidation. “What makes corruption active and ‘successful’ in the negative sense is the space it finds as an alternative for individuals or entities seeking to obtain a service or secure a right that institutions do not guarantee. That, in essence, is the core of corruption,” the Prime Minister emphasised.
He stressed that people often mistake corruption for the mere presence of wrongdoers who must be punished, assuming that such measures alone would resolve the issue. Rama argued that while sanctioning those individuals is necessary, it is not sufficient to uproot corruption from a country.
To combat corruption effectively, Rama said, it must cease to function as an alternative service, meaning institutions must guarantee citizens the services they seek. The Prime Minister underlined that the perception of corruption is far greater than the reality. He cited the practice of paying tips as an example, arguing that it has been one of the main factors feeding this perception. “Until a decade ago, in Albania it was almost impossible to obtain a service without paying a tip, even for something as basic as a birth certificate,” Rama said.
“Today Albanians are no longer obliged to pay tips to receive more than 1,000 services, which they now access directly from their mobile phones or computers through the e‑Albania platform. A significant part of petty corruption, which used to create tension between citizens and the state, no longer exists,” he said. However, Rama acknowledged that problematic areas remain because the cycle of digitalisation has not yet been fully completed.
He pointed to cadastral services as an example, noting that while some are now provided entirely online, others remain only partially digitalised — applications are submitted electronically but responses are still delivered by post — a situation that leaves rooms for problems.
Addressing high‑level corruption, Rama said it is largely associated with the procurement of public funds. He acknowledged that this has posed a serious challenge, but maintained that the problem has been mitigated through the digitalisation of procurement procedures — a reform that has also been commended by the European Union.
Rama highlighted that the number of companies now benefiting from public funds is considerably higher than in the past, reflecting stronger competition. He added that the balance between savings and expenditures has also improved, signalling greater transparency and a more competitive procurement environment.
Rama noted that procurement has been transferred from ministries and state agencies to a specialised national body, describing this as a key step in combating corruption. He said the final stage will involve the use of artificial intelligence, under which 95 percent of the procurement process will be automated and only 5 percent handled by humans for final certification, with the goal of eliminating opportunities for corruption entirely.
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