Business licensing is perceived by the Albanian Government and by the domestic and foreign private sectors as one of the issues impeding a transparent business environment in Albania

The National Conference on Business Licensing in Albania took place at the Hotel Tirana International last 4th of July. The Conference, organised by Eptisa in the framework of the EU funded Project “Technical Assistance and Training on Public Services Delivery to Local Government”, brought together mayors of communes, municipalities and regional councils all over Albania, high level representatives from the Ministry of Interior and from the Ministry of European Integration, and officials from the EC Delegation to Albania, to talk about the development of administrative capacities of the licensing administration at local level.

The Albanian Association of Municipalities, together with the Association of Communes and the Association of the Regions are the main beneficiaries of this € 1 million project implemented by a Consortium led by Eptisa with the participation of FLGR and Mott McDonald.

For 24 months, the Socio-Economic Competence Unit of Eptisa is coordinating the efforts of a group of international and local specialists on Business Environment Reform with the final objective to develop the Albanian investment climate by providing transparency, legal certainty and streamlining of procedures concerning the issuing of licenses for economic operators and for economic activities.

Three pilot local government units, respectively Shkodra Municipality, Dajti Commune and Elbasani Regional Council have benefited from the Project assistance and presented the best practices in the National Conference. In addition, the main findings of the Survey on Local Licensing in Albania were presented for further thought and discussions among the central and local government representatives and policy makers.