"Who is really behind Lidl, let the journalists find out. This scheme must be stopped," said former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj, as he publicly raised concerns about the Lidl customs terminal project in Albania, describing it as a case that requires an in-depth public and institutional investigation into the manner in which the law on strategic investments is implemented.
Responding to Ahmetaj's question, it turns out that "Lidl Albania" LLC was previously operating under the name "LVM Real Estate Investments", with administrators Ermir Bajrami and Gzim Syla.
Ermir Bajrami has been Vice President of 'Lidl Kosova' and 'Lidl Albania' and a board member at Lidl International since 2022. Previously, from 2019-2021, Bajrami was Director of Sales Operations at Lidl Switzerland. While Gzim Syla is Director of Finance and Administration at Lidl Kosova SH.PK

The transition of "LVM Real Estate Investments" to "Lidl Albania" LLC has also been accompanied by changes in positions, where within a 3-year period, the administrators have changed several times. Referring to the document published by the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation regarding the history of the beneficial owner register, it results that 'LVM Real Estate Investments' became 'Lidl Albania' in February 2023.

At that time there were changes in management, where Boris Lozic and Dalibor Bosnjak, who were administrators, were replaced by 'NIKOLAOS Dr. iur. ATHANASIADIS, MBA, PRZEMYSLAË ROBERT PAKULA, Adriatik Dedej, Dragos Ionescu, Marc. Two years later in March 2025, 'Lidl' passed into the administration of Ermir Bajrami and Gzim Syla. In the same period there were a number of changes in indirect owners and in the percentage of ownership.

In the interview for “Çim Peka Live”, Ahmetaj also stated that the company “Lidl” has received a concession for a customs terminal with a 35-year exclusivity, with the right to renew for another 35 years even though the new port has not yet been built. Ahmetaj emphasized that this has led to massive expropriations of private owners, not in the function of a broad public interest, but in direct favor of a private entity, which according to him should be the subject of an investigation. Ahmetaj stated that the expropriations were practically carried out on behalf of Lidl, seriously questioning the concept of “public interest” that is used to justify state intervention.
But what does the status "Investment/Strategic Investor Special Procedure" mean?
The Strategic Investment Committee, at its meeting on April 10, 2025, approved the granting of strategic investor status to “LIDL – Albania Logistics Center” with the subject “Lidl Albania” sh.pk. The strategic investment project envisages the realization of an investment of over 105 million Euros. It will be developed within the footprint of the New Integrated Commercial Project of Durrës with the Durrës Port Authority as the Developer, according to the Decision of the KKTKU with no. 09, dated 27.07.2022. The investment aims to be developed on a total area of ??200 thousand m2, which is located near the port logistics area in Porto Romano, Durrës.

Lidl is a German international discount retail chain, with over 12,000 stores, present in every member state of the European Union, Serbia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Lidl currently employs over 376,000 people worldwide and last year achieved a turnover of $125.5 billion.
While the arrival of 'Lidl' has raised doubts and rumors about the actors who are really behind it, so far the names mentioned above are those who are responsible for the administration./ VOICE