Socialist MP Vullnet Sinaj has come out against the Socialist Party’s proposal for administrative-territorial reform, opposing the idea of merging the Municipality of Selenica with Vlora. He made his position public in a Facebook post.
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Sinaj argues that expert assessments should be taken into account in this process, but stresses that the interests and voices of citizens should take priority.
The MP says he is convinced that the unconditional transfers municipalities receive from the state budget are far too low. According to him, a fairer distribution of funds, with a larger share allocated to local government, would eliminate the need to reduce the number of municipalities. Instead, he is calling for more funding, particularly for infrastructure investment and for local government units that are in greater need of support.
In his full statement, titled “Selenica, a Municipality in Its Own Right!”, Sinaj explains that after reviewing the new administrative-territorial reform proposal, he decided to present his arguments against merging Selenica with Vlora.
He recalls that during discussions on the state budget, he also maintained that funds are unfairly divided between central and local government. According to him, around 90% of the budget is managed by the central government, while only 10% is distributed among the country’s 61 municipalities.
Sinaj refers to the final report, “Administrative-Territorial Reform 2.0,” stressing that the document itself highlights positive indicators for the Municipality of Selenica.
In terms of its functionality as a municipality, Selenica ranks 29th nationwide. Its Municipal Functionality Index, MFI, stands at 57.3.
Selenica also ranks 29th in the country for economic performance. Its Economic Performance Index, EPI, stands at 42.2 and is above the national average.
The average salary in the municipality is 58,386 lek, nearly the same as the national average and higher than in many similarly sized municipalities. Meanwhile, arrears account for only 3.6%, a better result than the national average.
According to the MP, the only indicator that could place Selenica at a disadvantage is the Urban Size Index, USI. This is due to the fact that its population is spread across a large number of villages rather than concentrated in an urban center.
However, Sinaj believes this very characteristic is a reason for Selenica to retain its municipal status, as such a change would move services even farther away from citizens.
He adds that if only the criteria of functionality and economic performance were applied, several other municipalities ranked below Selenica would also have to lose their status. According to him, however, this is not happening.
As Sinaj explains, the Commission considers the Municipality of Selenica’s economic indicators to be weak, based on the number of businesses. The MP questions how the Commission’s members failed to take into account that the municipality is home to two of the country’s most important mineral assets: the Selenica Mine and Albania’s largest oil production enterprise, the one in Gorrisht.
Sinaj also asks whether the Commission is aware of the mineral royalty the state receives from the annual production of around 35,000 tons of crude oil in Gorrisht, Selenica. He wants to know which of the municipalities that will retain their status after the reform make such a contribution to the state budget.
According to the MP, the real issue lies with the law on national taxes. Municipalities with natural resources receive back only 5% of the mineral royalty, which stands at 10%. In practice, this amounts to just 0.5% of the value of production.
Sinaj says he has worked for four consecutive years to amend this law. The OSCE also joined his initiative, but the amendment was not adopted. The aim was to increase the share of mineral royalties received by municipalities from 5% to 30%.
In conclusion, Vullnet Sinaj states that the Municipality of Selenica meets all the necessary criteria to continue operating successfully as a separate local government unit. He expresses the hope that the Albanian Parliament will recognize this reality, take citizens’ voices into consideration and allow Selenica to continue functioning as a municipality in its own right.
