Esmeralda Topi
The new dock at Shkodra entrance was part of the promises made by Mayor Benet Beci.
‘It will be a dock that allows for boat parking. (…) The aim is to ensure it is navigable,’ Beci promised during the electoral campaign.
This project, valued at 1.2 million euros and funded by the European Union, involved the rehabilitation of the dock and the construction of a floating platform.
Deadline Violations
The construction of the new dock in Shkodra was expected to be completed by the end of the previous year. Originally set to be finalized in three months, the project ended up taking a year to complete. The Albanian Development Fund, which is responsible for executing the project, attributes the delays to two main factors. Firstly, last year, Shkodra Municipality requested several modifications to the project that impacted the work schedule. Secondly, ‘challenges arising from weather conditions have affected the execution of the timeline,’ according to the Development Fund.
Fact
The renovations of the new dock in Shkodër began in the summer of 2023. A year later, the Albanian Development Fund reported to Faktoje that the rehabilitation of the dock has been completed.
‘…The temporary handover has been finalized to the beneficiary of this investment, the Municipality of Shkodër,” stated the FSHZH.
Faktoje visited Shkodër this month to verify the project in person. On September 17, it was confirmed that the construction of the new dock by the old Buna Bridge had been completed.
Nonetheless, the new dock has not yet been made accessible to the citizens of Shkodra, despite the fact that the FSHZH (Shkodra Water and Sewage Company) has submitted the completed project to the Municipality.
The pier near the Old Bridge of Buna is the third to be constructed along the shores of Lake Shkodra and the Buna River, following the ones in Shirokë and Zogaj. These investments, funded by the European Union, aim to revive navigation on the Buna River and promote cross-border tourism between Albania and Montenegro.
Conclusion
Based on the information gathered and on-site verification, we conclude that the promise made by Shkodra’s Mayor, Benet Beci, regarding the new pier in the city has been fulfilled.
‘Faktoje’, with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), is monitoring 10 municipalities in the country and verifying whether the promises made by Mayors have been fulfilled.
