Government budget plan, during 2021 the suspension for 5 concessions blocked during the pandemic is lifted, controls for the private sector are increased

The government has decided to lift the suspension on five concessions blocked during the pandemic. The economic crisis brought about by the pandemic in March last year forced the government to cut spending on some concessions and suspended several others indefinitely; as for the Check-up, Milot-Balldren road, Orikum-Dukat, for the waste concession and that of the laboratories. The government took this measure as it had to invest more in the health sector. Anyway, this suspension will end this year, as in the plan submitted for the 2021 budget, it is decided that the payments for the 5 concessions will start normally. From the freezing of these concessions, the government saved more than 7.9 billion ALL, but for this year this amount will be included in the budget for PPP. Also for this year, To the PPP budget will be added the fund for 6 new concession contracts, which will require coverage of more than 1.7 billion euros. "Compared to 2020, when many contracts were raised or reduced due to the difficult situation created in the budget by Covid-19 (total 7.9 billion ALL), payments for concessions will return to normal this year. This estimated amount for the payment of concessions in 2021 is about 16% of the total planned capital expenditures. The government has planned to activate next year 6 new concession contracts with Public-Private Partnership worth 1.7 billion euros ", it is stated in the document. The addition of new contracts has been made despite international calls for PPP reduction,

The weight of PPP in the budget

According to the data evidenced in the 2021 budget, the weight of concessions during this year is more than 14.5 billion ALL, so this is the amount that the state will pay for 13 concession contracts in total. However, from the data published by the MFE, most of the concessions are made in health. Specifically, the four health concessions, Check-up, sterilization, dialysis and laboratory concessions are expected to receive a total of 4.6 billion ALL, or 37 million euros, which is almost a third of all concession payments in 2021. The most expensive is sterilization , which is expected to receive ALL 1.7 billion in payments from the budget for the sterilization of medical equipment during surgical interventions. The laboratory concession will receive 1.28 billion ALL payments for 2021, while Check-up and dialysis will receive 876 million ALL and 779 million ALL respectively. Another large value belongs to the concession for the Milot-Fier segment with an amount of ALL 178 billion. The second most costly project is the concession of PPP database infrastructure and Supervision of Road Control Technical Control Centers worth ALL 20 billion.

Monitorimi i koncesioneve

Sëbashku me buxhetin qeveria ka publikuar edhe një udhëzim i cili tregon se si do të monitorohen koncesionet për vitin 2021. Sipas udhëzimit, Ministria e Financave do të bëjë vlerësimin dhe më pas do të miratojë paraprakisht të gjitha projektet koncesionare dhe çdo ndryshim të tyre nga pikëpamja e implikimeve financiare buxhetore. Kjo do të thotë që çdo fillim muaji të 13 koncesionet do të raportojnë gjendjen financiare, avancimin në kontratë dhe planin për muajin në vazhdim. “Ministria e Financave detyron të gjithë koncesionarët me financime buxhetore të raportojnë çdo datë 5 për muajin paraardhës, për situatën financiar të tyre dhe zbatimin e kontratave. Me këtë informacion, njësia për Monitorimin e Risqeve në Ministrinë e Financave përgatit një raport përmbledhës për ecurinë e pagesave faktike dhe treguesve të performancës mujore për kontratat PPP. Gjithashtu jo më vonë se data 10 gusht të gjitha autoritetet kontraktore dërgojnë pranë Agjencisë së Trajtimit të Koncesioneve (të gjitha kontratat koncesionare me dhe pa financime buxhetore të lidhura prej tyre”, thuhet në udhëzim.