KELMEND MARGEGAJ TROPOJË M A L Ë S II T R O P O J Ë E M A D H E SHALË BAJRAM CURRI KASTRAT BUJAN LLUGAJ SHKREL LEKBIBAJ FIERZË BYTYÇ GOLAJ PULT QENDËR QENDËR KOPLIK SHOSH FIERZË H A S GRUEMIRË S H K O D Ë R IBALLË KRUMË F U S H Ë TEMAL BLERIM FAJZË POSTRIBË A R R Ë S GJINAJ SHLLAK RRETHINAT QELËZ FUSHË-ARRËS TËRTHORE VA U II MALZI SHKODËR KUKËS D E J Ë S KOLSH GURI RRAPE ZAPOD ANA E I ZI VAU I PUKË SHTIQËN MALIT DEJËS QAFË-MAL QERRET BËRDICË P U K Ë SURROJ DAJÇ BICAJ VIG-MNELË SHISHTAVEC HAJMEL K U K Ë S TOPOJAN BUSHAT GJEGJAN FAN UJMISHT DAJÇ ARRËN VELIPOJË GRYKË BLINISHT UNGREJ KAÇINAR CAJE BALLDRE BUSHTRICË OROSH ZALL-REÇ KALLMET L E Z H Ë KALIS KALA E LURË M IIR D IIT Ë ZALL-DARDHË DODËS KOLSH RRËSHEN LEZHË RUBIK SELITË SLLOVË SHËNGJIN ARRAS KTHJELLË DERJAN FUSHË-ÇIDHËN ZEJMEN KASTRIOT SHËNKOLL D IIB Ë R MUHURR PESHKOPI RUKAJ MACUKULL TOMIN MELAN FUSHË MILOT ULËZ KUQE LAÇ M AT M AT LUZNI BURREL LIS K U R B IIN BAZ SELISHTË MAQELLARË MAMURRAS SHUPENZË Local Government KOMSI SUÇ THUMANË ISHËM FUSHË GURRË CUDHI BULQIZË D U R R Ë S KRUJË KLOS K R U J Ë K L O S GJORICË BULQIZË BUBQ FUSHË ZERQAN MANËZ KRUJË NIKËL XIBËR SUKTH V O R Ë B U L Q IIZ Ë PREZË ZALL OSTREN KATUND ZALL-BASTAR VORË HERR MARTANESH I RI BËRXULLË MAMINAS KAMËZ K A M Ë Z TREBISHT XHAFZOTAJ SHIIJAK PASKUQAN SHIJAK KASHAR DAJT SHËNGJERGJ DURRËS TIRANË STEBLEVË GJEPALAJ RRASHBULL VAQARR NDROQ FARKË ORENJË PETRELË LUNIK L IIB R A Z H D GOLEM T I R A N Ë LABINOT PEZË KRRABË FUNAR K AVA J Ë BËRZHITË MAL QENDËR HELMËS KAVAJË BALDUSHK LIBRAZHD GRACEN SYNEJ E L B A S A N HOTOLISHT LUZ I BRADASHESH LABINOT VOGËL LEKAJ FUSHË POLIS SINABALLAJ ELBASAN KRYEVIDH PËRPARIM RRAJCË PAJOVË SHUSHICË RROGOZHIINË KARINË PAPËR QUKËS RROGOZHINË SHIRGJAN GOSË P E Q IIN PRRENJAS PEQIN TËRBUF GJERGJAN P R R E N J A S GJOCAJ SHALËS CËRRIK SHEZË GJINAR STRAVAJ DUSHK TREGAN DIVJAKË BALLAGAT PROPTISHT GRABJAN GOSTIMË BELSH ZAVALINË in albania RRASË UDENISHT D IIV J A K Ë GOLEM HYSGJOKAJ KLOS B E L S H LUSHNJEKARBUNARË CËRRIIK POROÇAN FIERZË KAJAN LUSHNJE MOLLAS PISHAJ TREBINJË VELÇAN POGRADEC GRADISHTË GREKAN SULT FIER BUÇIMAS REMAS SHEGAN KOZARE GRAMSH KOLONJË KRUTJE KUKUR P O G R A D E C ÇËRRAVË PUSTEC LIBOFSHË K U Ç O V Ë ALLKAJ POSHNJE TUNJË KODOVJAT DARDHAS BUBULLIMË PERONDI KUÇOVË LUMAS TOPOJË KUTALLI G R A M S H PIRG MBROSTAR STRUM LENIE URA KUSHOVË URA VRESHTAS P U S T E C ROSKOVEC VAJGURORE SKËNDERBEGAS GORE F IIE R OTLLAK DERMENAS CUKALAT URA ROSHNIK FIER KUMAN VAJGURORE ZHARRËZ M A L IIQ QENDËR ROSKOVEC BERAT POJAN MALIQ PROGËR PATOS KURJAN LIBONIK ZHEPË MOGLICË LEVAN RUZHDIE PORTEZ VELABISHT PATOS VËRTOP BILISHT NGRAÇAN B E R AT VOSKOPOJË QENDËR QENDËR FRAKULL QENDËR BILISHT NOVOSELË SINJË KORÇË CAKRAN ARANITES GJERBËS VOSKOP HOÇISHT BALLSH POLIÇAN LEKAS GRESHICË P O L IIÇ A N BOGOVË HEKAL DRENOVË SELITË TËRPAN LESHNJE K O R Ç Ë SHUSHICË SELENICË S K R A PA R K O R Ç Ë D E V O L L MALLAKASTËR QENDËR MALLAKASTËR VËNDRESHË QENDËR MOLLAJ ARMEN FRATAR ÇOROVODË VITHKUQ MIRAS Status Report VLORË VLLAHINË KUTË BUZ POTOM KRAHËS MOLLAS M E M A L IIA J BALLABAN ÇEPAN QESARAT ÇLIRIM SEVASTËR LUFTINJË KOTË K E L C Y R Ë QENDËR SUKË FRASHËR ERSEKË S E L E N IIC E LOPËS MEMALIAJ MEMALIAJ DISHNICË NOVOSELË ERSEKË V L O R Ë FSHAT BRATAJ TEPELENË ORIKUM QENDËR K O L O N J Ë T E P E L E N Ë BARMASH QËNDËR KELCYRË P Ë R M E T KURVELESH TEPELENË PËRMET PETRAN HORË-VRANISHT ODRIE ZAGORIE QËNDER PICAR LESKOVIK L I B O H O V Ë LESKOVIK HIMARË G J IIR O K A S T ËLRUNXHËRLI I B O H O V Ë ÇARÇOVË H IIM A R Ë CEPO ANTIGONË LUKOVË QENDËR GJIROKASTËR POGON LIBOHOVË LAZARAT LIBOHOVË VERGO D E LV IIN Ë DROPULL I POSHTËM DELVINË D R O P U L L MESOPOTAM FINIQ DROPULL I SIPËRM SARANDË F IIN IIQ DHIVER S A R A N D Ë ALIKO LIVADHJA KSAMIL XARRË MARKAT K O N IIS P O L KONISPOL aSSociaTion of aLBanian MunicipaLiTieS Tirana, 2019 AssociAtion of AlbAniAn MunicipAlities local Government in Albania status Report tirana, 2019 STATUS REPORT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN ALBANIA Author: Agron Haxhimali Collaborators: Aida Cacaj, Kelmend Zajazi This publication was prepared by the Association of Albanian Municipalities with the financial support of Hanns Seidel Foundation, Albania. This publication does reflect the views of the Association of Municipalities and not necessarily those of Hanns Seidel Foundation. The authors guarantee accurate coverage of the data obtained from the reference materials used. 2 STATUS REPORT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN ALBANIA TABLE OF CONTENT I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 5 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................... 7 III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 10 IV. CONTEXT ................................................................................................................ 11 1. Reform’ national context .................................................................................. 11 2. Coordination of foreign aid ............................................................................. 12 V. LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE REFORM ............................................. 14 1. Legislation on Local Government .................................................................. 14 2. Decentralization Agenda .................................................................................. 16 3. History of territorial division .......................................................................... 20 4. The new territorial administrative division .............................................. 21 5. Administrative Territorial Reform in facts and figures .......................... 24 VI. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................... 29 1. Central vs Local institutions ............................................................................ 29 2. Human Resources ............................................................................................... 30 VII. CITIZENS PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT, TRANSPARENCY ................................................................................................. 33 VIII. RELATIONS BETWEEN CENTRAL AND LOCAL LEVEL ............... 35 1. Consultative Council ........................................................................................... 36 2. Agency for the Support of Local Governments .......................................... 37 3 STATUS REPORT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN ALBANIA IX. LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND INTER-INSTITUTIONAL INTERACTION ..................................................................................................... 38 X. DECENTRALIZATION AND NEW FUNCTIONS ................................. 44 1. Social Services ...................................................................................................... 45 2. Fire protection ..................................................................................................... 45 3. Education ............................................................................................................... 45 4. Forest Management ............................................................................................ 46 5. Drainage and Irrigation .................................................................................... 47 6. Local roads ............................................................................................................ 48 XI. FISCAL DECENTRALISATION ..................................................................... 49 XII. OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES ........................................................................... 58 1. Water supply ......................................................................................................... 58 2. Waste Management ............................................................................................ 60 3. Territory Planning .............................................................................................. 61 4. Local Infrastructure ........................................................................................... 61 5. Social services ...................................................................................................... 62 XIII. PREPARATION FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION .................................... 64 4 STATUS REPORT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN ALBANIA I. INTRODUCTION In 2014, Albania undertook again the initiative to reform local government to achieve a real and indispensable decentralization after some previous not substantial efforts. This initiative aimed at providing local self-government investment, regulatory and service competencies on basic functions, going onewith step financial further and with economic the transfer power, of rights some and new responsibilities, functions. administrative, On the other hand, the territorial administrative reform aimed to systemize the territory through new administrative boundaries by reorganizing local government units that were highly fragmented, resulting with unsatisfactory public services provided to local communities and with no economy of scale but with excessive administrative costs instead. To address these problems and to improve local governance, the government has engaged in the preparation of the cross-sectoral decentralization strategy and has intervened in the legal framework. Various technical assistance programs and projects have been attached to this effort and knowing the circumstances they have planned