The genesis of a dubious concession, how 1.44 billion euros were broken for Milot-Fier

2022-11-15 20:57:36Investigim SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The genesis of a dubious concession, how 1.44 billion euros were broken for
Milot-Fier road

In July 2020, when the country was in the midst of the economic consequences of the pandemic and isolation, the Government announced the next PPP with a total value of almost 1.44 billion euros.

The race opened the same month and on paper it was international. However, only the Greek company, 'Terna', presented the offer. After keeping the failure of the tender hidden for weeks, Minister Belinda Balluku appears in a television interview at the end of 2020 announcing that there was no winner.

The Greek company was disqualified from the competition. Balluku did not give details as to why, but said that the offer submitted by the Greeks was a voluminous file with 40 bundles that were well studied and analyzed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and in the end the disqualification was decided.

All the subsequent movements suggest that the disqualification of the Greek company did not even come after a well-thought-out analysis, but after a well-thought-out affair. The rush to grant a concession to this segment, part of the 'Blue Corridor' for which financing from the European Union through the Berlin process could be secured, did not stop.

The government announced the reopening of the race, this time the entire 115-kilometer route was divided into five sections. The first section, Milot-Thumanë, with a length of 13.5 kilometers, the second Thumanë-Kashar with a length of 20 kilometers, Kashar-Pezë Helmes of 9 kilometers, Pezë Helmes - Lekaj, 24 kilometers, Lekaj-Rrogozhinë of 8 kilometers and Rrogozhinë-Fier of 38 kilometers.

Sections were reviewed in lots and Lekaj-Fier was awarded in a single lot. The division into sections reduced the criteria that companies participating in the competition had to meet. This activated Albanian companies and suspected clientelistic and predetermined offers from the Ministry of Infrastructure.

E para që u vu në lëvizje ishte Gener 2, që mori koncesionin Thumanë-Kashar me gjatësi 20 kilometra. Kompania vlerëson se ndërtimi do të kushtojë 400 mln euro, ose 20 mln euro për kilometër, ndërsa të ardhura për 35 vite nga tarifa e kalimit do të sigurojë të paktën 1.3 miliardë euro.

Lekaj-Fier, me gjatësi 44 kilometra është loti i dytë. Këtu u bënë bashkë 8 kompani për të paraqitur një ofertë të vetme. Ato parashikojnë një investim prej 384 milionë euro dhe arkëtim prej të paktën 1.3 miliardë euro nga tarifat e kalimit në rrugë.

Të dy lotet kalojnë përgjithësisht në rrugë ekzituese, që do të thotë se kanë kosto ndërtimi më të ulët se pjesa tjetër. Sipas projektit fillestar të qeverisë, nga 115 kilometra rrugë, 63 janë në gjurmët e akseve aktuale dhe 52 të tjera rrugë e re.

Duke hequr Thumanë-Kashar dhe Lekaj-Fier, akset që mbesin janë Milot-Thumanë dhe Kashar-Lekaj. Kjo e dyta vlerësohet në studimet e bërë nga Ministria e Infrastrukturës si pjesa më e vështirë dhe me më shumë kosto e projektit.

Deri më tani, nga 1.2 mld eurot e llogaritura pa TVSH nga ministria, 784 mln euro kanë shkuar për dy lotet që janë dhënë tashmë me koncesion. Shuma që mbetet është 416 mln euro për dy segmentet e tjera. Shifra tregon se ose është fryrë kostoja e dy koncesioneve të dhëna deri më tani, ose Kashar-Lekaj, që do të kalojë në një terren të ri dhe më të vështirë do të kushtojë më pak për çdo kilometër.

All these costs will be borne by the citizens in the form of toll payments at each concessionaire. Round-trip vehicle fares throughout the campaign are projected to be at least 20 euros. In total, for 35 years of concession, citizens will pay over 4 billion euros. 

© Copyright Vox News

This article is exclusive to Vox News, it is copyrighted according to Law No. 35/2016, "On copyright and related rights". The article can be republished by other media only by citing Vox News and placing the source link at the end, otherwise any violator will be held responsible according to Article 178 of Law No. 35/2016.


Video