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6 billion lek for 15 municipalities to be merged: Who will control the money after the territorial reform?

2026-11-09 10:52:53Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

6 billion lek for 15 municipalities to be merged: Who will control the money

The government has approved the new territorial map, but the 2027 draft budget continues to distribute funds according to the old administrative division.

A total of 15 municipalities that are expected to disappear as separate units will have around 6 billion lek available, while it remains unclear how their money, contracts and obligations will be administered after the reorganization.

In total, local government is expected to administer 114.6 billion lek, of which 58.6 billion will be provided from its own revenues and 56 billion from state budget support.

But what is striking is the fact that around 6 billion lekë are foreseen for 15 municipalities that will lose their status as separate administrative units. Maliqi results in around 797 million lekë, Divjaka with 575 million, Përrenjasi with 486 million and Cërriku with 452 million lekë.

Funding these municipalities until the merger is necessary for the continuity of public services. However, questions arise for the period after the local elections, when the administration of the territory and funds will be transferred to the municipalities that will absorb them.

Who will decide on the billions remaining in the accounts of the municipalities that will be merged? Will the funds be automatically transferred, or will new decisions be needed for their redistribution? What will happen to open tenders, signed contracts, and investments that have been initiated but not completed?

Another issue relates to the financial obligations that municipalities may have towards private operators. If a municipality has unpaid debts or multi-year contracts, who will assume the financial responsibility after its merger?

Equally important is the way in which expenses will be controlled during the final months of operation of these units. Will there be restrictions on entering into new contracts or assuming financial obligations before the transfer to other municipalities? In the absence of clear rules, there is a risk that host municipalities will inherit financial commitments for which they did not make their own decisions.

The Minister of Interior, Ervin Demo, has described the year 2027 as a transition period for local government, emphasizing the need for coordination and preparation of administrations. However, it remains to be clarified what the concrete mechanisms for the transfer and control of funds will be.

The problem is not why the budget finances municipalities that still legally exist, but how transparent the way the money is administered will be once they cease to exist as separate institutions.

Territorial reform does not just change administrative boundaries. It directly affects budgets, properties, investments, contracts, and obligations towards citizens and businesses.

For this reason, beyond the draft budget figures, the government must clarify how the final financial balance of the 15 municipalities will be carried out and who will be responsible for the use of public funds during the transition.

Because the question that remains without a detailed answer is: when the 15 municipalities disappear from the administrative map, who will account for the money they have administered?/ Vna


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