By Nevila Gjata
He does not have the same beginnings as Rama. And apparently, he does not have a political future either. Since February 10 of this year, he has been in pre-trial detention.
SPAK suspects that Mayor Erion Veliaj and his wife, Ajola Xoxa, have personally benefited from public funds. The scheme reportedly involved favoring private companies in tenders and building permits.
Since February, there have been shifts within the Tirana Municipality, from director-level positions up to deputy mayors, where Prime Minister Edi Rama has significantly concentrated his influence.
At least five times it has been publicly reported that Rama intervened (through meetings) in the administration of Tirana Municipality, aiming more to maintain control than ensure continuity.
The latest move occurred at the end of July, when, through a government-approved Council of Ministers decision, Tirana and other local units will no longer have the authority to issue building permits for buildings over 6 floors.
This authority has been transferred exclusively to the National Territorial Council, led by Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Building permits
But how many building permits did the Tirana Municipality issue in the first half of this year, after Veliaj’s arrest in February?
Faktoje.al sent a request for information to the Tirana Municipality, using the 2023 local elections, the year 2024, and the first half of 2025 (January–June) as reference points.
Response
The General Directorate of Planning and Territorial Development of the capital informed Faktoje.al that in 2023, the Tirana Municipality issued 53 building permits for buildings over 6 floors, for residential and service purposes. In 2024, the number decreased to 44, and in the first half of 2025 (January–June), only 9 permits were issued.
Authority
According to Law no. 107/2014 “On Planning and Territorial Development,” as amended, and its implementing sub-legal acts, the mayor was responsible (until the government transferred the authority) for decisions regarding building permit applications within the municipality’s administrative territory.
The exact dates of the 9 permits (for buildings over 6 floors) issued during this half-year are not known, but following Erion Veliaj’s arrest, the process appears to have stalled.
Now that the authority has passed to Edi Rama, it remains to be seen whether this downward trend will continue or if the government’s decision aims to specifically unblock the remaining pending permits. Past experience has pointed more toward the latter…
