FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Albanian government is planning to spend for the next two years 113 million euros for waste management for the district of Fier and Elbasan, despite the fact that the previous concessions of 50 million euros for the construction of incinerators are under trial for criminal offenses of corruption and money laundering. .
A draft document of the Albanian government of "Priority Policies" for the period 2024-2026, which BIRN has, lists as "Unique projects of national importance" public investments and the creation of functional areas for waste in Elbasan and Fier.
A new investment of 50.1 million euros is foreseen for Elbasan, while for Fier 63 million euros.
Both projects are categorized as mature, which means that the feasibility study has been carried out and they are in the advanced stage of compiling technical documents.
Prime Minister Edi Rama refused during a press conference on Wednesday to listen to BIRN's question and answer it about the additional money planned, even after the corruption scandal with the incinerators, suggesting that the question be sent to him in writing. A request for comment sent by BIRN to Rama's press office remained unanswered for 48 hours.
The Draft Document, which is expected to be approved by the Council of Ministers, has been prepared by the State Agency for Strategic Programming and Aid Coordination (SASPAC), directly subordinate to the Prime Minister, which is headed by the former Minister of Health, Ilir Beqaj.
Beqaj himself is under investigation by the Special Prosecutor's Office for the public-private partnership contract for the sterilization of surgical equipment.
Although this document does not give reasons for the need for new investments in waste management in these two areas, government sources said that they are based on a feasibility study drawn up by foreign and local experts with funding from the IPA funds of the European Union. .
BIRN managed to secure the study done for the Fier district, where investments in waste management infrastructure are foreseen to return to the previous strategy that stimulates recycling - a strategy that was abandoned by the "Rama" government with the decisions to spend hundreds of millions of euros for staging.
Also, the study foresees the closure of some old landfills and the expansion of existing ones, as well as regional investments; construction of recycling facilities, transfer stations, composting facilities and landfills for inerts, with a clear priority towards recycling and not incineration.
According to the drafting experts, the Fieri incinerator, if put into operation, will have a functional life of 15-25 years and "the prioritization of recycling will directly mean a significant reduction in the need for incineration".
According to the management scenario that this study proposes, the investment costs for the Fier region reach the figure of 60.4 million euros (60,403,480) spread over a 20-year period. Fier's incinerator has cost Albanian taxpayers around 32 million euros, but it has not been put into operation for a single day and still does not burn waste.
The study brings an analysis of the waste management policies that the Albanian government has followed, emphasizing that incineration, not only is not expected to solve the problem with waste, but also violates the European directives for the circular economy, since the hierarchy of waste management has not been implemented. where combustion is at the bottom of the pyramid.
Incenerimi u mbrojt fort nga kryeministri Edi Rama, si një zgjidhje përfundimtare e problemit me plehrat duke dhënë në një hark kohor të pak viteve 3 kontrata koncensionare qindra-miliona euro për ndërtim inceneratorësh në Elbasan, Fier dhe Tiranë.
Të tre këto objekte janë sot nën sekuestro shtetërore me urdhër të Prokurorisë së Posaçme (SPAK), hetimet e së cilës kanë ngritur akuzua për një dyzinë zyrtarësh shtetërorë me akuzat e korrupsionit, pastrim të parave dhe shpërdorimit të detyrës, ndër ta dhe ish-zëvendëskryeministri Arben Ahmetaj dhe ish-ministri i Mjedisit Lefter Koka.
Hartimi i draft-planit të qeverisë për projektet me rëndësi kombëtare, sipas agjencisë, është bërë në bazë të vendimeve dhe udhëzimeve të qeverisë për menaxhimit e investimeve publike dhe prioriteve të qeverisë në projekte konkrete në nivel kombëtar dhe rajonal.
“Kjo listë shërben si referencë për ministrinë përgjegjëse për financat dhe njësitë e qeverisjes qendrore, në kuadër të përfshirjes së projekteve të investimeve publike në Programin Buxhetor Afatmesëm (PBA) apo buxhetin vjetor,” thuhet në dokumentin e SASPAC.
Sipas argumentimit të përdorur në dokument, kur projektet janë mbi vlerën kufi të vendosur me udhëzimin e Ministrit të Financave dhe ato do të klasifikohen si projekte investimi me rëndësi kombëtare dhe i nënshtrohen procesit të vlerësimit për përfshirjen e tyre në Listën Unike të Projekteve me Rëndësi Kombëtare.
“Këto projekte investimi përfshihen në PBA-në apo buxhetin vjetor në përputhje me hapësirën fiskale, vetëm pasi të jenë bërë pjesë e listës unike të projekteve me rëndësi kombëtare, të rankuar dhe të miratuar me vendim të Këshillit të Ministrave."
In this list, the projects categorized with "mature" status are 62 projects in infrastructure, digitization, environment, etc., with a total value of nearly 8 billion euros.
Only for the Environment sector, 388 million euros are expected to be spent in total, including in this sector investments in water supply and sewage and waste management, landfills./BIRN
Lini një Përgjigje