The costs for the construction of the Korça-Ersekë road increase. The project will swallow another 17.5 million euros from Albanian taxpayers' money. In total, the 35 kilometres of category C road are expected to cost over 55 million euros. 

On December 27 last year, the Ministry of Infrastructure announced the field inspection by head of the ministry Belinda Balluku, of the works for the first part of lot II of the Korça-Ersekë axis. 

"The work is continuing at a high pace and the physical realization has reached 91%", it is written on the social media page of this ministry. 

"Since the first lot has been completed and we are already working on the first part of the second lot, we have managed to see that it has a great potential and this is a project that should go ahead and be completed as soon as possible," expressed Balluku. 

"Progress is visible. The entire 4.15 km route is open. Work is underway on the final layers of stabilizer. Due to the rains, it will receive a greater stabilization and then in the spring we will continue with the asphalt layers and we will deliver it ready for the new season", declares Evis Berberi, director of ARA (Albanian Road Authority). 

In fact, the cost of the second lot has reached almost 36.5 million euros, after the first tender of 19 million euros, ARA has added a funding of another 17 million 552 thousand euros. 

Thus, three months after the inspection of Balluku, in March 2022, the Albanian Road Authority has opened another tender of 2.165 billion ALL or 17 million 557 thousand euros for the construction of the road Korca - Ersekë, Lot II. 

Suspicions about a fictitious competition are reasonable as the winner is the same firm, A.N.K, owned by Agim Kola, the brother of the former Socialist Party MP, Ndue Kola, who also performed the works in the first part of lot 2, with a value of 19 million euros. While all participants have submitted bids near the limit set by ARA. 

The winning company has made an offer only 5,000 dollars lower than the limit fund, while there has also been a cheaper offer given by Gener 2, almost equal to A.N.K. This company became known to the public for the already failed concession of 256 million euros for only 17 kilometres of the Milot-Balldre highway.