Engineer Arben Mece says that money laundering in the construction sector, specifically with multi-story towers in Tirana, is not done by the investor, but by the buyer.
In an interview for Euronews Albania, Mece said that there are already mechanisms in place that are able to audit and control investors.
“The construction process in Albania has made use of a technology that has already changed the relationship with the investor. If until 5 years ago, the investors would dig up and built the foundation and start selling the properties from this early stage of construction, now the investors, who have been empowered, no longer follow this scheme.
Since you start the foundation, you have to declare the money. When it is built, they ask you where did you get the money? It’s not money laundering that raises the price, it’s the market. It is used in a populist way to launder money and you shouldn’t even think that we are part of this game. The investor doesn’t do the money laundering, it’s the buyer that does it,” he argued.
The value of construction permits granted in Tirana during 2020 and 2021 amounts to around 800 million euros.
327 million euros is the value of those granted in 2020 and about 470 million euros of permits granted in 2021.
600 million euros is the estimated amount of investment for multi-story buildings, both for housing and for hotels, shopping centers or other business activities.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
