The speech of the Minister of State for Enterprise Protection, Eduard Shalsi, in the Parliament

Data: 17.10.2019

Dear leader of the session, dear fellow MP

I will try not to refer to those I had written, but by making the idea as simple as possible, the concept on which the Albanian Investment Corporation was born. You know very well that in 2018, a Turkish consortium made a proposal regarding the airport of 500 thousand passengers in Vlorë, which would serve mainly, but not only, the south of Albania. The Albanian government through a team of negotiators discussed and did not agree to continue with the proposal of the Turkish consortium. In fact, what is in question is a space of 310 thousand hectares, which would be made available for the construction of the southern airport. During all these years, there are even some very interesting correspondences, if you had been careful you would have looked into them. During at least the last 20 years, I have had the opportunity to see some of them, some proposals of some very prestigious firms, with fantastic experience, with capital that asked the Albanian government to enter into various partnerships. For the well-known public properties, accepted in Albania, there were two models: they were rented or they were given with a symbolic fee of 1 euro.

While many letters have remained unanswered, many proposals have remained unanswered, precisely because a mechanism was missing that the Albanian Investment Corporation gives in this case to the Albanian government as a means to negotiate. To come back again with the concrete example so that it is as understandable as possible for the whole part of Vlora, there are 310 thousand hectares, a part can serve as an airport and you know we have already continued, not with the concept idea, but with the project of how the airport will be, while the airport occupies only 1/3 of the surface. What we are discussing and I assure you of one thing, in this initiative there is a group of very honorable people, whom I take the opportunity to thank, they are Harvard professors, who have enabled us to visit some places to see and some successful models or experiences.

The Albanian Investment Corporation came about as a need to respond to all those unexplained requests until these years, also as a result of the consultancy we received from a group of Harvard professors, whom you too, if you wanted to use parliamentary instruments, you can contact, there is no mafia idea, there is no criminal idea, but there is simply a desire that all those challenges that have not been properly addressed throughout this transaction period receive an answer through a mechanism, an instrument, which makes possible a partnership between the public and the private. Mr. Shtjefni quite rightly brought to attention some objections of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which you quoted. On the other hand, there is a correspondence between the EU and the Albanian Government where an answer is given and yes, some remarks stand, those remarks have been reflected on, the rest of the notion has been explained. The Albanian Investment Cooperative is a JSC, which will be established as a state capital, but we have it very clearly explained in the law, for what purpose it will be valid and will be with the contribution of the state budget.

I am going back to it again to make it as understandable as possible. In addition to the Vlora airport, the idea is that since the area is much larger, then that area should also serve for other activities. An example could be, for which there is interest, we have completed the legal framework as you know for solar energy and it could be a very useful photovoltaic park. But, in addition to this, there may be some other functions. Therefore, only in the last month there is a growing interest of companies, precisely because of the different approach that is being followed. So, we are talking about mechanisms, we are talking about instruments, which currently fill a vacuum, which previously could not be made possible by the laws in force. State property in Albania can be developed, used more efficiently, more efficiently. now, after all these years and after a very careful analysis, the conclusion has been reached that it needs to be improved and the contribution would be very valuable, not only yours, but anyone’s and don’t forget that we have come to this day today after a debate, even within us, extraordinary. We have been enlightened like never before, we have understood some things even better, but the initiative, I told you, was made simply and only to make possible some transactions that would increase and maximize it. Of course you mentioned being worried about your properties, take the microphone, set the pin, you have all the right of God to complain why you didn’t get them, but that doesn’t give you the right to distort the essence in just such a debate , which aims at this. It aims precisely to improve the management of public property,

Therefore, not wanting to be long, I think that the creation of this agency is a good omen for us, it will be followed by a number of decisions of the Council of Ministers and I believe that it will be a very interesting, very attractive mechanism that finally make it possible for them to give answers to those serious investors, in partnership with which we should develop Albania.

Thank you!