The implementation of the “Municipal Infrastructure V” program, financed by the German Government through KfW, the Swiss Government through SECO, the European Union through WBIF and IPA, and the Albanian Government, has started. This program foresees important investments for the improvement of the water supply system – sewerage in some of the main cities of the country.
Shkodra, Lezha, Elbasani, Fieri, Berat and Vlora are the cities that will benefit from this program, while part of it is also the construction of the wastewater treatment plant in Berat and Shkodra, as well as the improvement of the treatment level of polluted waters in the city of Lezha.

The inauguration ceremony of this project took place at the Kafaraj pumping station in Fier and was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, the EU Ambassador (name), the Ambassador of Germany, the Ambassador of Switzerland, as well as local elected officials.

In her speech, Deputy Prime Minister Balluku highlighted the steps taken by the Albanian government to improve the situation in this sector. Balluku said that thanks the deep reform the indicators have begun to improve, collections have increased, work is also being done to collect the debts carried over the years, but also to raise a more efficient staff.

Currently, according to the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, there are 33 urban areas and 98 rural areas throughout the country that are supplied with high-quality drinking water 24 hours a day. Meanwhile, investments are expected to increase by the end of this year.
“With the 2024 budget and all other program packages, we expect that 13 urban areas will be added to the list of benefiters of quality drinking water 24 hours a day, bringing the number to 46 urban areas, and 45 rural areas, along with 143 rural areas served with water 24 hours a day, 9 of which are touristic areas,” Balluku said.

Despite the difficulties the sector is facing, Balluku said that with the support of partners, the situation will change.
“We are optimistic that with all the great difficulties that the sector presents and this sector’s legacy, starting from the very old technology, depreciation of systems or other human resource issues, but taking into account all the changes that have taken place in recent years, given the attention of the government to the water supply and sewerage sector, given the opportunities that we have with the experts and all the human capacities of AKUK, but also the good will of the mayors to contribute to one of the processes and one of the most important sectors for citizens, we are convinced that with the support of our partners, and here it is never a mistake to once again thank the German government, the Swiss government and all the institutions here present, the good work of the ambassadors and above all the European Union, the European Commission for all the support they are giving to Albania in these moments through the WBIF programs and of course the IPA, we are convinced that success is guaranteed”, underlined Balluku.

At the end of the investments of the “Municipal Infrastructure V” program, all cities will benefit from about 266 kilometers of new water supply networks, 17.4 kilometers of a new sewerage network, 14 thousand new connections and rehabilitation of existing consumer connections and about 13 thousand newly installed water meters. The investments will serve a population of about 470 thousand people with a new water supply network and about 88 thousand inhabitants with an improved sewerage network.