Struga has had its beaches without concession contracts for a decade

For nearly ten years, the beaches along the shore of Lake Ohrid in Struga have been used without concessions, causing the Municipality of Struga financial losses that, according to Mayor Mendi Qyra, amount to at least half a million euros.

The agreements for administering the beaches expired in 2016. Despite this, various buildings, including permanent structures, have been erected along the lakeshore, creating a chaotic situation and uncontrolled urbanization.

Struga Mayor Mendi Qyra says that the entities operating on the beaches are not paying a single denar into the municipal coffers.

“Citizens should know that the beaches are now operating without concessions and, for the time being, are not paying a single denar to the municipality. Therefore, as mayor, I have proposed that a decision be made on their management so that we can collect revenue. In this regard, the municipality will lose at least around half a million euros,” Qyra said.

Since March, Qyra has been seeking the development of a legal solution for regulating the shore of Lake Ohrid in Struga, with the aim of stopping the usurpation and illegal use of public spaces.

According to him, one proposal is for the beaches to be administered through a decision allowing the installation of basic urban equipment. For the structures included in demolition procedures, as well as for the other buildings, the legal basis and the manner in which they will be dealt with must be determined.

Struga Municipal Council President Mite Stefovski believes that the issue cannot be resolved solely through a decision that would create the possibility of collecting revenue.

He emphasizes that this situation has developed over more than ten years and that resolving it requires support, consultations and cooperation with state institutions.

Qyra calls environmentalists’ proposal to demolish all the structures on the beaches illogical. He says that some of the entities that have managed these areas have invested up to 300,000 euros, although the land along the shore of Lake Ohrid in Struga is not privately owned.

The management of the beaches remains an issue requiring legal and institutional intervention. The last contracts expired in 2016, while the use of public spaces along the shore has continued even after their expiration.