Tirana incinerator from scandal to scandal/ How state institutions plunged into a corrupt affair

1 Shkurt 2022, 20:10, English CNA

The performance report recently published by the Supreme State Audit, regarding the Sharra incinerator concession, has revealed violations of the law by the Ministry of Environment, and has established a chain of scandals in this corrupt affair involving several state institutions.

According to official data provided by CNA.al, the report states that ?despite the post factum intervention of environmental organizations and those of recycling in Albania, their lack of involvement as stakeholders closely related to the object of the concession, doesn?t legitimize the actions of the Ministry of the Environment for non-consideration and non-consultation of the concession project, from the stage of feasibility studies in the form of consultations with the public or interest groups?.

The report highlights the fact that the Ministry of Environment has acted in a hurry, finding the solution in the incinerators without asking any stakeholders, and without getting their full opinion. It has also been found that incineration costs are high, and the consequences for the state budget can be in the hundreds of millions of euros.

When asked for their opinion, the central institutions didn?t agree, and did not return a positive response to the Ministry of Environment. But the latter has again sent them letters to try to get a positive opinion. This clearly shows, that after the rejection or silence, another order has forced many institutions to change their mind.

Another problem identified is the legal status of the property where it will be invested. The government was then forced to pay over 2 million euros for expropriations in the area. The report also states that the lack of preliminary information on the legal status of the property, where the concession project for the construction of the landfill, incinerator and rehabilitation of existing landfills in Tirana, proposed by the economic operator ?Integrated Energy BV?, has led to increased costs.

SSA ascertains in the performance report that ?as a consequence of actions and inactions, as well as evasion from the obligations set out in the contract by both the Competition Authority and the Concessionaire, have caused significant delays in the deadline for the start and continuation of project works?.

Even after the start of the works, most of the Lots are out of the deadlines set in the work schedule, and as a result we still do not have ?use of a plant for waste treatment and energy production?. In a report of over 50 pages, SSA report was able to reveal legal violations and abuses which start from the proposal, the race and up to the current situation where the government and the Municipality of Tirana have paid 40 million dollars for waste incineration, while there is no incinerator yet./CNA.al

INCENERATORI I TIRANËS nga skandali në skandal/ Si u zhytën institucionet shtetërore në një aferë korruptive