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After the tender failure, the port of Porto Romano remains in suspense, the government "withholds" 98.4% of the funds

2026-07-08 07:49:17Biznes SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The uncertainty and failure of the tender procedures for the first phase of the new port in Porto Romano have dictated a strong movement in the budget of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

According to official data from the Ministry of Finance, in the normative act amending the 2026 budget, the funds dedicated to maritime transport were almost completely cut, which directly reflects the blocking of this strategic project. The budget for this item has suffered a significant cut of 98.4%, dropping from 14.9 billion lek to only 247 million lek.

This change came as a result of recent negative developments, where on March 9, 2026, the tender for the first phase was canceled after the only company in the competition, Archirodon, withdrew from the process without submitting its financial bid.

The company's withdrawal was justified by the increase in construction costs due to global uncertainty, while the process was also accompanied by findings of deficiencies in the tender documentation. Currently, the project is under the scrutiny of SPAK, which has seized the documentation from the Durrës Port Authority to verify the legality of the procedures so far.

Initial plans had envisioned the completion of the first phase of the port by 2025, a goal that has already failed.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Enea Karakaçi, has announced that there is no new deadline for the project, as a new plan is being evaluated. While the government is in the process of negotiations to find a solution to this strategic project, the reduction of funds in the state budget proves that the realization of this port remains a challenge.

The new commercial port project in Porto Romano is planned as an investment worth around 400 million euros (excluding VAT) for the first phase. The financing of this project is expected to be covered by the state budget.

The project also envisages the creation of an integrated port that includes terminals, warehouses, distribution centers and value-added services, connecting to Corridor VIII and the railway networks that connect Albania with Kosovo, North Macedonia and the wider region. Part of the strategic vision, following the requests of the Albanian government to NATO, is also the integration of an Alliance military base within this port.

The relocation of the commercial terminal to Porto Romano is linked to the government's plans to transform the current port of Durres into an important tourist and residential center.

The “Durrës Yachts & Marina” project is being developed by the company “Durrës Marina” sh.a., an enterprise created as a public-private partnership in which the Albanian state owns 33% of the shares. The main private investor behind this project is Mohamed Alabbar, a businessman from the United Arab Emirates, who operates through the company Eagle Hills Real Estate Development.

While delays and failure of the tendering processes in Porto Romano are increasing the risk of implementing the initial plans. As long as the current port remains functional for the trade of goods due to the lack of an alternative, tourism projects in the old port area will remain blocked. While the capacity for processing goods is increasing and also the investments in corridor 8 are continuing, the construction of the new Port has remained suspended./monitor.al


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