The table of investments with expanded data, announced by the Ministry of Finance, shows that, in the first quarter of 2021, about ALL 22 billion were spent on capital investments or about 22% of the annual investment program with over ALL 99 billion.

A detailed list of the Ministry, which reports the use of budget funds for investments, shows that the election process, concession projects, reconstruction of the earthquake consequences, agricultural subsidy programs from the European Union IPARD program were the most funded.

The most funded project was the electronic voter identification with about ALL 1.8 billion, while the second most funded project this 4-month period that coincided with the election campaign of April 25 were the reconstruction projects. Of these projects, the largest funding went to the reconstruction of individual housing with an amount of ALL 1.2 billion.

Unlike other quarters, this year the government allocated to farmers about 10 million euros from IPARD funds through two projects. ALL 973 million were given to the beneficiaries of the IPARD II program, the third measure, although no funds were programmed for this project this year. While another ALL 235 million was given through the IPARD project measure 1.

In the first 4 months, from the road projects, the most financed was the road segment Qukës - Qafë Plloçë with ALL 705 million with the financing of two lots. The Kardhiq-Delvinë segment was the second most financed this year as well, receiving from the public investment fund ALL 528 million in the first four months of 2021. The segment of the New Ring was financed with ALL 399 million ALL, from ALL 400 million which was the annual program. The works for the construction of By Pas of Vlora were financed with ALL 309 million, the project for the rehabilitation of the Vlora River was financed with ALL 295 million, although for this year no financing was programmed.

About 5.5% of the budget funds used to finance public investments went to finance concession contracts. About ALL 1.2 billion, approximately EUR 10 million were disbursed for the financing of the incinerators, ‘Rruga e Arbrit’ and the compensation of the missing traffic in ‘Rruga e Kombit’.

From the detailed data, ‘Rruga e Arbrit’ received ALL 630 million, or about 50% of the financing that went for all concessions. Another ALL 208 million went to finance the incinerators of Fier and Elbasan, respectively with ALL 188 and 40 million. About ALL 3 million or ALL 369 million were disbursed to compensate for the missing traffic on ‘Rruga e Kombit’. The concessionaire received half of the annual programmed amount of ALL 740 million.

(Source: Monitor)