The property rights, still remans big problem in Albania 
 
World Bank: Only 1.7% of legalization finished

The World Bank expressed its concern about the property rights in Albania in its latest report, identifying many problems in this sector, especially for the legalization.

According to Shqip newspaper, the WB experts say that 4504 land owners have received their property titles, when more than 270.000 have applied. The report notes that the Agency for the Legalization, Urbanization, and Integration of the Informal Zones/Buildings has received sufficient financial resources, paid from the taxpayers, but the process has been very slow, compared to the cost of this institution.

One side of the failure is dedicated to the lack of money. When someone promises free land, it is difficult to be true. But the other side of the problem doesn’t seem to be connected with the money. Around one third of the illegal constructions, according to the World Bank, have not been built on an owned property, and in cases like these there is no compensation cost.

However, the process has stalled.

“The process has stalled, regardless the resources that have been dedicated to the Agency for the Legalization, Urbanization, and Integration of the Informal Zones/Buildings, which is a big and well equipped organization, the operative costs of which are covered by the state”, the report says. However, only 1.7% of the applicants have finished.

“The agency has the technical knowledge for the topographic observations, the mapping, for all legal and urban aspects. They have produced modern computerized maps throughout the country, made in 2006 through aerial imaging.