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An unusual decision by the government/ Millions of euros from the budget to transfer the waste of Fier and Elbasan to Shkodra

2025-11-11 17:57:03 / POLITIKË ALFA PRESS

An unusual decision by the government/ Millions of euros from the budget to

In the 2026 draft budget, the Government has foreseen a fund of 1 billion lek that will be distributed to municipalities nationwide for urban waste management, through an unconditional sectoral transfer.

This is the first time that funding for this specific purpose is formalized as part of the fiscal mechanisms that support local government, aiming to improve the waste collection, transport and treatment system in all management areas.

Everything is happening after the country has suffered with waste management, even though millions of euros have been spent on it, such as those that went to incinerators that were never built.

Dedicated funds by waste management area

According to Annex 8 of the 2026 draft budget, the allocation of funds is made based on the annual amount of waste produced by local units; and the additional costs of transportation to the final collection and processing points.

This division supports the implementation of waste management zones designated by the Ministry of Environment, where some municipalities must transport waste to regional centers for treatment.

Specifically: The municipalities of Malësi e Madhe, Shkodër, Vau i Dejës, Pukë, Fushë Arrëz, Lezhë and Kurbin will be financed for the transportation of waste to the Shkodër management area.

The municipalities of Krujë, Durrës, Vorë, Kamëz, Shijak and Kavajë will contribute to the Tirana management area.

The municipalities of Librazhd, Elbasan, Rrogozhinë, Peqin, Cërrik, Belsh, Prrenjas and Gramsh will direct the waste towards the Shkodra area.

Likewise, the municipalities of Fier, Lushnja, Roskovec, Patos, Divjaka and Mallakastra will send waste to the management area in Shkodër.

In these two cases, it is not known whether we are dealing with a slip of the tongue, or whether the government officially "buried" the incinerators that were never built, by transferring the waste of these municipalities to Shkodra.

Also, the municipalities of Himara, Saranda, Gjirokastër, Tepelenë, Memaliaj, Këlcyrë, Përmet, Libohovë and Dropull will be financed for the transportation of urban waste in the Gjirokastër waste management area.

The municipalities of Pogradec, Korça, Kolonjë, Maliq, Devoll and Pustec are funded for the transportation of urban waste in the Korça waste management area.

From incinerator payments to regional management

This change indicates a change in the government's approach, after several years where the state budget covered significant payments for the contracts of the Fier and Elbasan incinerators, which however were not completed and never entered into operation. In their absence, the 2026 draft budget foresees that the waste of the respective municipalities be transported to alternative regional centers.

At the same time, the new division by management areas indicates the reformatting of the national strategy for urban waste treatment, aiming to avoid failed models and orient towards functional regional solutions.

According to official data from the Ministry of Finance, analyzed by ekofin.al, for the period from 2019-2022 the state budget has paid 2.9 billion lek for the non-existent Fier incinerator and 1.85 billion lek from 2018-2021 for the non-existent Elbasan incinerator. Practically 4.75 billion lek from the budget have been paid over the years for two works that do not exist today./ Kapitali

 

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