FLASH
Shkruar nga Gjergj Zefi
How the new budget aims to sabotage the massive flow of tourism in the north of the country...
To see the philosophy of the budget presented by the government in Parliament, it is enough to see the figures at the bottom for capital investments.
Out of about 124 billion alloted for public investments, concessions or PPP, only 5 billion alloted for a concession contract such as the Milot-Kashar road. This road costs a total of 231 million euros. Which is anyway a PPP concession, a scary procedure, where the government decides to build a road with an unsolicited bid.
But until the road is finished, which is part of the annual flow of budget money, all northerners will be burdened with the traffic ordeal of the current road. But that is another matter.
The state budget is the basic, essential document that a government takes to the Parliament for approval, it constitutes its vision for the country. How it will distribute the money that citizens give through taxes. A normal government in any country in the world has a philosophy to finance not only projects that come to it from its clients, but a vision to distribute equally to the entire population of the country.
Looking at the budget for the year, but also the 2022-2026 strategy, it is clear that we are dealing with a financial apartheid that Edi Rama has offered to the northern part of the country, which he considers a "no man's land" as in an interview in The Financial Times considered the north of Kosovo.
Although he won Shkodra through the unifying figure of Benet Beci, Edi Rama, he has not programmed a systematic support to strengthen Shkodra and the part of the Alps, but what is called the First Operative Zone.
If you look at the prestigious international blogs that promoted Albanian tourism last summer, apart from Ksamil, which is a small site, although fascinating, the gems of Albanian attraction have been the northern area, the Alps, but also the coast from Shengjin to Velipojë.
There is no doubt that in the coming year, "Albanian Bavaria" as the Alps are being called, there is a great desire to be explored by a much larger number of visitors. Edi Rama himself published on his website the so-called "The Cool list 2024", where the Albanian Alps are considered a tourist boom for the following year.
What are the measures that the government has taken in the budget for this season? No special measures, no infrastructural budget coverage.
When in the whole part of the Alps; from Valbona to Vermosh, there are basic problems in electricity, and the expected increase in energy users has not been covered by substations. This growth, if it brings a cycle of services and infrastructure, can be a fatal trap for the north, since if they are disappointed, for years and years "Albanian Bavaria" can melt like salt in water.
On the other hand, the coast of Velipoja, Rana e Hedhur and Shengjini, are simply left in the limitation of a municipal administration by the municipality, which has completely limited the action.
However, the essence is still in the road, since the odyssey that has arisen over the years due to the traffic congestion during the summer time, can automatically lead to that part of the tourists who have more economic opportunities to slide to the south, where the roads are all closed. built, where the Llogara tunnel may already be ready. And so from Shengjin to Velipoja, only those looking for a low-priced holiday will go.
Meanwhile, another scandal has occurred in the budget, where the completion of the Murrizi tunnel on Rruga e Arbri is again postponed, which makes traveling to the very attractive area of Lugina e Mati, Bulqiza e Peshkopia, which is liked by visitors, as a still unspoiled by the concrete empire.
It is learned that Edi Rama has designed the tunnel to be postponed for the 2025 elections, and to leave Dibra without tourist flow this summer as well.
All this may well be considered a deliberate stance, but ultimately it is a clear vision of this government. Which has a priority, where more than 65-75% of the budget is sent to the south, along with the flow of the expected revenue from tourism. Although it is not a natural flow, since both the south and the north are equally liked by tourists, even the Alps are considered a "cool destination".
But why does Edi Rama sabotage it?
Just to get that amount of money down as much as possible. / Pamphlet
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