Opposition insists on hearing Tirana Municipality in territorial reform committee, Tabaku: Represents 1.3 million residents

Democratic MP Jorida Tabaku has asked that the Special Committee for Administrative-Territorial Reform adhere to the work calendar and call the Municipality of Tirana to be heard before conclusions are drawn by the experts.

During the committee session, she stressed that the issue is not about a mere technical extension of deadlines, but about the obligation for the process to proceed according to predetermined stages and to be based on a fact-based assessment.

According to the MP, it is impossible to prepare a credible report on the progress of the reform undertaken in 2014, when the Municipality of Tirana, which constitutes the largest local unit in Albania, has not yet been called to testify.

“We cannot draw conclusions without first receiving explanations from the largest municipality in the country. Experts cannot present findings unless the institution that covers roughly 1.3 million citizens and manages the highest local budget is first heard,” Tabaku stressed.

She added that the hearing with representatives of the Municipality of Tirana is essential to evaluate whether the expansion of boundaries has resulted in better quality services, whether residents have concretely benefited, and whether funds have been distributed in accordance with the needs of different areas.

Tabaku drew attention to the lack of educational institutions in neighborhoods such as Astir, Zall-Bastar and Zall-Herr, as well as challenges related to traffic circulation, infrastructure, social housing, and how local tax revenues are spent.

“We need to find out whether the education tax has benefited the community, how the municipality’s territorial growth has been managed, and what has actually changed for citizens. Without getting these answers, our analysis will be incomplete,” she concluded.