Sea Not For Sale
Following the property abuse scandal in Cape of Rodon and Gjiri i Lalzit, the Cadastre General Director, Artan Lame warns of similar grave situation throughout the country.
According to the six-month analysis by the head of the Cadastre, it has resulted that in 25 years more damage has been done than during the time of the dictatorship.
“What happened to property in this quarter of a century in Albania far exceeds what happened in the previous half-century. The map of property abuse covers the whole territory of the Republic of Albania.
“And these abuses occur in areas of economic interest. So it is precisely in areas where the country and the economy need to be more open to the map of investment, development and free initiative that have inherited property problems that block most of the investment,” said Lame.
According to Lame, no individual should be able to own the land of ports, such as in Shëngjin, or areas of actual sea.
“We will face these issues further on the Gjiri i Lalzit and Shëngjin coasts. In Shëngjin, it turns out that the land which hosts the port dock somehow has a private owner today.
“We will encounter these problems on the coast of Velipoja, where parts of marshes that have been under water for thousands of years have been divided as if they were wheat crops,” said Artan Lame.
Given the conditions, the Cadastre has warned that they will refer cases to the prosecution if deemed necessary.
One of the worst abuses recently identified was in connection with the Cape of Rodon, where 9 former property registration officials have been jailed.