Lack of ownership certificates, an obstacle to development

2024-06-23 22:34:16, Aktualitet CNA

In Albania, although more than 30 years have passed since the fall of the communist system, which did not recognize private property, the majority of residents living in the mountainous areas, in the north of the country, continue to not be provided with the ownership certificate for their homes and lands. In 1992, they rejected Law 7001 on the division of land while maintaining the old property boundaries, which left them without a certificate of ownership.

Whereas in 1991, when the political system in Albania changed and when all the political wings approved the law 7501 for the distribution of land, the inhabitants of the mountainous areas in the North of Albania rejected it and returned to the lands and lands inherited from the ancestors.

But, when the tourists appeared towards Theth, Valbona, Vermoshi, Lëpuša, Tamara, or Razma, driven by the alpine landscapes, the tradition of hospitality, clothing or food, most of them faced the lack of ownership certificates and the impossibility for property development.

The chairman of the "Dukagjini" association, Ndue Sanaj, told the Voice of America that they presented this concern to the authorities 20 years ago, but nothing has been done so far.

"We started the problem of this issue since 2008. The fact is that the entire area of ??Dukagjin, as far as I know, the other mountains do not have tapi (certificate of ownership) for the properties", he says.

The head of the "Dukagjini" association says that, apart from the areas known for mountain tourism, the lack of ownership certificates is hindering development in other mountain areas as well.

"They have been registered since 1947, but nobody has the tapi (certificate of ownership). Thethi has problems because it is the place that tourists follow, and quite a few, but in other places in the highlands, these problems have not yet appeared, because tourism has not yet developed", he says.

The need to invest in the construction of hostels or the reconstruction of the existing towers has brought the residents into contact with the law. Dozens of residents were detained by the police and prosecuted by the prosecutor's office for illegal constructions.

According to lawyer Anton Kosteri, the lack of property titles continues to penalize the inhabitants of mountainous areas, including those of tourist areas.

"In these areas it will be very difficult to make investments because any construction, even a brick that will be placed there, will be considered to be placed on a state land and not on their inherited land for hundreds of years, this due to the non-registration of property titles", he says.

But lawyer Kosteri says that, if politics and the government are ready to support the development of these poor areas, then solutions can be found to equip them with ownership certificates.

"Under these conditions, I consider it necessary for the intervention of the state by setting up working groups near the local units, also calling people, the oldest residents, to first determine the limitations and the right of ownership of everyone, because every resident there knows where he has his property. And I think that, with the establishment of these commissions with village heads, with representatives of administrative units and with experts in the field, I am sure that a solution will be found, but only if there is political will".

Last month, Prime Minister Rama, during a visit to the tourist center of Theth, promised the residents the cancellation of all fines for illegal constructions made over the years in the absence of ownership certificates, as well as solving ownership problems by providing them with titles of ownership for inherited properties./ VOA