Mayor Juliana Memaj Opposes Dimal Merger: It Must Remain a Separate Municipality! The Process Is Not Transparent!

Socialist Mayor of Dimal Juliana Memaj has opposed the Socialist Party’s proposals for the new territorial reform, calling for the municipality to retain its status as a separate local government unit.

In a lengthy statement, Memaj argues that Dimal has a historical identity, economic potential and administrative capacity that justify its continued operation as a separate municipality.

She stresses that the proposal to merge Dimal Municipality is not supported by clear analysis and has not been accompanied by a transparent process.

“Ten years is far too short a period in which to assess a territorial reform. This is especially true when the analysis prepared on territorial reorganization and submitted to Parliament has not been made available to us, so that our staff could review it, raise objections and make suggestions, allowing the process to produce the best possible outcome without prejudging the result.

According to her, Dimal has a developed local economy, with agriculture and trade as its main sectors, while the area also generates considerable agricultural exports.

At the end of her statement, Juliana Memaj emphasizes that any territorial change must be based on clear criteria, consultation with communities and a transparent process.

“Ultimately, Dimal must remain a separate local government unit,” the mayor concludes.

Juliana Memaj’s full post

DIMAL AS A SEPARATE MUNICIPALITY

Dimal has existed since the 5th century BC. At that site, among the beautiful hills of Cukalat, life, agriculture and trade flourished around the 2nd century BC. There, facing the two mountains of Shpirag and Tomor, it served as a watchful eye protecting Apollonia. Artifacts abounded beneath Dimal’s soil, confirming the lack of attention paid over the years by the relevant state institutions.

The local economy of our area, which emerged from the 2015 territorial reform, thrives on agriculture and trade, just as it did in the past. It is an area with development potential, a prosperous area inhabited by honest and hardworking people who, through their work over the years, appear to have left their mark on this land.

Therefore, through a process launched in January 2020 and completed on April 23, 2021, with broad public participation, we finalized the name change to create a brand for our local economy and ensure dignified representation for the area, elevating its name, which spoke Albanian. This entire process went through the stages stipulated by law for a reorganization without changes to boundaries. The process once again demonstrated that the will of this community, which emerged from the 2015 reform, is to remain together as a single unit because its people are connected by history, tradition and economic potential.

Why did Parliament approve this initiative and change the municipality’s name through Law No. 34/2015? Why did it do so if this local government unit was going to be merged? Do our politicians not have a clear idea of what will happen tomorrow?

Is the future in this country really so unclear and unpredictable? Without dwelling on this any further, there are clear examples dating back to antiquity showing that where laws are clear and long-lasting, there is sustainable development and a strong state—the reforms of Lycurgus lasted 500 years.

Ten years is far too short a period in which to assess a territorial reform. This is especially true when the analysis prepared on territorial reorganization and submitted to Parliament has not been made available to us, so that our staff could review it, raise objections and make suggestions, allowing the process to produce the best possible outcome without prejudging the result.

It is unclear how the conclusion was reached that Dimal, Poliçan, Divjakë or any other municipality would be better off under the administration of another local government unit. How would Dimal Municipality be better off with Berat when, over these 10 years, Dimal Municipality’s average ratio of investments funded from its own budget to its total actual budget has ranged from 33% to 38%, while the figure for Berat Municipality is only 18%?

Given the different profiles of these municipalities, it is unclear how the new unit resulting from the reorganization would operate more effectively when investments made in villages by Dimal Municipality account for 54% of its total investments, compared with 46% in the town. This municipality has therefore ensured a fair distribution throughout its territory, giving rural areas the importance they deserve. The question arises: Will the new local government unit give rural areas the same weight?

How would Berat Municipality be more efficient when Dimal Municipality has a lower number of employees per 1,000 residents?

Why should a local government unit that managed to generate five times more revenue during its existence—and ensured that this revenue was returned to residents through capital investments and services instead of being mismanaged and spent solely on salaries—be merged? As the head of the institution, I do not know what the experts’ analysis for this reform is based on, because it has not been made available to us. Whatever the case, applying different standards to municipalities with similar profiles or demographics completely undermines the quality of the act they have produced.

An administrative organization is a living entity, as is also stated in legal provisions. I therefore believe that every change must be carefully considered, justified on the basis of universally accepted criteria, and emerge from an inclusive and transparent process.

In my assessment, no municipality should be merged. I presented my position on the reform to the Territorial Reform Commission. In fact, I went even further, stating that where residents themselves initiate separation from a local government unit, the possibility of creating an additional new local government unit could be reconsidered—but only in response to a need expressed by the communities.

Even today, I still have no answer as to why the Socialist Party representatives on the Special Parliamentary Committee on Administrative-Territorial Reform in the Republic of Albania are proposing the sudden merger of a municipality with a local economy, a municipality that, according to the 2025 census, has recorded population growth, unlike many others. Why choose to merge a municipality with the lowest rate of decline in student numbers in the region? Why choose to merge a municipality whose own revenues account for nearly half of its actual budget? Why choose a municipality that generates €50 million in agricultural exports each year, yet not return to it its rightful share from the distribution of taxes generated by the injection of this value into the economy? Why choose to merge a municipality with an identity and history, and so on and so forth? The lack of clear criteria, the flaws in the process and the failure to respect the voice of citizens render this proposal invalid.

Ultimately,

DIMAL MUST REMAIN A SEPARATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT!