Territorial reform, Meçe: The initiative centralises decision-making and does not harm services to citizens

Analyst Arben Meçe says the initiative for the new territorial reform centralises decision-making, but does not harm services to citizens.

In an interview for “Newsline” on ABC News, Meçe said that the services will remain and there will be an increase in quality.

Meçe added that the municipalities will not be dissolved, but move to a format of administration.

“It is this initiative that centralises decision-making. The service remains on the ground, decision-making is centralised. There is a debate whether this is a political solution for electoral effects or for administration. When you see the municipalities that merge, 90 per cent of them are socialist, they have no electoral interest. Who organises the protest? The service remains where it is. The intervention will mean an increase in quality. In all the analysis I have done to date, the municipalities are not being dissolved, but move to another administrative format. We have an administrative reorganisation of the situation. You, an ordinary citizen who is going out to protest, do you know why you are going out to protest? The more powerful the decision-making, the better the service. Those who are most affected are the decision-makers, their interest is being harmed, or their local strongman status in those areas. Every MP is a representative of a zone. In the final decision-making, they have the duty to be in sync.

But this does not mean that they should not react with words. We have the practice: the Municipality of Tirana administers a large territory, Shkodra, Vlora, Fier, in the concept that is being debated, do not function. These municipalities, being large, are closer to the citizen. Being large, they possess large sums, which they can redistribute. The idea is for the government to make national investments. The smaller the administrative unit, the smaller the funds,” he stressed.