He said that it is already proven that half of this money goes through the banking system, while the rest, which for many critics is illegal comes from immigrants or foreigners who decide to buy property in Tirana.

“Sceptics of the development say that the construction is financed by dubious sources. Meanwhile, the critics themselves admit that more than half of the money with which these properties are bought or generated comes from the banking system. For the other half, who cannot find out the source, because they do not try to reason, they automatically say that it is half “dirty.” For anyone who lives in Tirana, the other half is not such a mystery. On average, 30-35% of the construction goes to the land owners and the rest is bought by our emigrants who do not access Albanian banks, but get the money from a bank, or their savings in Italy, Greece, Germany, UK, USA or Canada, ” the mayor said.

There is demand, but there is also supply. Both should go hand in hand. We cannot put check posts for these 20-25 thousand citizens who join us every year. We can’t even divide it into natives and newcomers, because it’s a racist language from the 90s that shouldn’t exist anymore. We want to make this a better city for everyone,” he said

Veliaj said that economy in our country has grown at a fast pace.
“The property value in Tirana has increased owing to the increase in the number and quality of public investments. Today we have public spaces of urban excellence awarded with international prizes, such as

“Skënderbej” Square, “Zogu I” Boulevard, “Italia” Square, the “New Bazaar,” “Pyramid” building, “Castle” area, Lake Farka, Artificial Lake Tirana, the Zoo, or even those at the capillary level, with mini plazas, sports fields, asphalted streets, sewer system, regulated parking spaces, LED lighting. More regular and more frequent cleaning has driven up the overall increase in property value in Tirana and this is a good news for the city. When a city’s property value drops is a cause for concern. We are one of those lucky cities where the property value has only increased,” he said.
/sm/