"Let us work, this is our bread"/ Traders against the action in Lumalas

2026-03-29 13:01:00, Sociale CNA

"Let us work, this is our bread"/ Traders against the action in

The action taken by the Korça Prefecture to remove street vendors along the Korça-Pogradec national axis, in the Lumalasi area, has been accompanied by opposition from residents who make a living through the sale of agricultural products.

Today, municipal police structures were on the ground, asking merchants to immediately remove their goods from the side of the road, describing this activity as a risk to road safety.

But for the Shkëmbi family, this intervention is considered unfair and without alternative solutions. They say they are not against the rules, but they demand that they be at least given the opportunity to move a few meters further away, in order to continue working.

"Let us work, this is our bread"/ Traders against the action in

"The prefect came accompanied by the municipal police, everyone, and we said 'why remove us at all, move us 6 meters further away'. She told us that we will no longer sell on the side of the road because it is a source of accidents. But the source of accidents is at the bus station in Lumalas, it is worse there, not here on my property. We did not go out until the second day after the prefect arrived, then we went out again. Today the municipal police are asking us to remove the goods, they are telling us 'remove the things or we will seize your goods'. The son is the fourth unemployed, we plant these lands. Let them go and check the businesses that are on the canals, not come here on my land. We feel the risk of accidents, but let them take us a few meters further down. I agree to withdraw, but they did not give us this solution", said the lady of the house Gurie Shkëmbi.

According to her, the constant pressure from institutions puts them in a difficult economic situation, as this is the only way of life for the family. Her husband, Muharrem Shkëmbi, also expresses his outrage at the way the action has been carried out, saying that he has been treated as a lawbreaker, while he is trying to secure income from his production.

"One day the prefecture, the municipality, the police and the commune came to us. There was a mess here as if I had killed someone, as if I were a criminal. I have been selling my goods for a year, I am the sixth in the family. What are we going to live on? The son is unemployed, the wife is unemployed, the daughter-in-law is unemployed. I have my own production, on my own land, with all the conditions, with a land permit, a house and even a kiosk. Last year I opened the license, the police and the municipality came and told me that it was fake. How can it be fake when I took it to the municipality? They took my goods. They come 100 times a day, we will take them out 100 times. Whatever they want to do to me, I was devastated," said the head of the family, Muharrem Shkëmbi.

The traders emphasize that they do not oppose the law, but demand fairer treatment and a concrete solution from the institutions, since it concerns their agricultural products and the family's only income. They propose to move a few meters further away from the road, in order to avoid the risk of accidents, but without being forced to close the activity completely.

"Let us work, this is our bread"/ Traders against the action in

While the actions are expected to continue in the coming days, it remains to be seen whether the institutions will find an alternative solution for these residents, or whether the clashes on the ground will continue, leaving their main concern, the provision of daily bread , unanswered./CNA