The cancellation of the tender for the construction of a new commercial port in Porto Romano, which aims to relocate commercial activity from the existing port, would likely create significant losses related to businessman Mohamed Alabbar's Durrës Yachts & Marina tourism project.
The project envisages the transformation of the existing port into a yacht port as well as luxury residences and high-rise towers.
For the project to continue, the port must gradually move towards the port of Porto Romano. But, despite the fact that two years have passed since the day the tender for the selection of the winning company for the construction of the new integrated commercial port was opened, everything has returned to zero today. This is after the cancellation of the tender worth 400 million euros, after the only company in the competition, Archirodon Construksion, did not submit a financial offer on March 9, as a result of which the procedure fell through.
In the conditions, when no institution gives an answer as to when the construction of the port in Porto Romano will begin, everything remains in suspense. Since the non-relocation of commercial activity hinders the works for the Durrës Yachts & Marina tourist project.
"We are talking about a risk that Albania will be left without a port, because Alabar sends official letters requesting the release of gate 4, but if you release gate 4, Albania will no longer have a port. Tomorrow, Alabar will have the right to go to arbitration and will bury us because according to the contract it has, we are not releasing the spaces," former Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj declared in a television interview, warning of a possible impasse.
The situation is further complicated after the publication of a letter that the head of the American Chamber of Commerce, Grant Van Cleve, sent to Prime Minister Edi Rama, requesting the postponement and review of the port project in Porto Romano, with the argument that a port with limited capacity could jeopardize the functioning of Corridor VIII and Albania's strategic role in the region.
