The way a municipality distributes and implements its budget is a clear indicator of development priorities and real capacities to deal with urban problems. The data on the implementation of the 2024 budget for the Municipality of Durrës, consulted by ekofin.al, show a contradictory picture: on the one hand, a steady increase in revenues, and on the other hand, a contraction in public investments, precisely in a city that increasingly faces serious consequences from uncontrolled urban development.
According to official figures, the share of investments in the budget of the Municipality of Durrës has decreased by 15% compared to 2023, dropping from 23.75% to 20.21%. In real terms, investments per capita have also been reduced by about 9%, from 2,467 lek per inhabitant in 2023 to 2,246 lek per inhabitant in 2024. This reduction is not simply a financial indicator, but directly translates into a lack of infrastructure interventions, insufficient capacities for water, territory and urban growth management, as well as a weakening of the city's resistance to extreme phenomena, such as the floods of recent days.
At the same time, the expenditure structure shows a clear shift towards current expenditure. The weight of personnel in the budget has increased by 4%, from 41.43% to 42.90%, while operational expenditure has also increased by about 6%. This means that an increasingly large part of the budget is used for salaries and administrative functioning, leaving less room for capital investments that create long-term value for the city and its citizens.
This trend becomes even more worrying in the context of Durrës’ economic role. As the second most important municipality in the country after Tirana in terms of economic activity, port, tourism and urban development, Durrës has managed to significantly increase its revenues even during 2024. Its per capita income has increased by 23%, while the ratio of its revenues to the budget has gone up to over 55%, reflecting a higher financial capacity and potential for self-financing. However, this potential has not been proportionally reflected in public investments.
On the other hand, total expenditures have shown under-realization. The budget execution rate has fallen to 71.77%, from 75.8% a year earlier, indicating that not only are investments planned at a lower weight, but also those that have been foreseen have not been fully implemented. In practice, this means delayed projects, unfinished works and a lack of preventive interventions.
The consequences are already visible on the ground. The repeated floods in Durrës are a clear signal of the lack of investment in drainage infrastructure, urban planning and territorial development control. Uncontrolled urban development, combined with a low level of public investment, has created a more vulnerable city, despite increasing incomes and economic activity.
In this context, the 2024 budget data for the Municipality of Durrës raises a fundamental question for local policies: are increased revenues and financial capacities being used to build a more resilient and sustainable city, or to expand the burden of administrative expenses to the detriment of public investments? /ekofin.al
