The Albania Investment Council (IC) held a plenary meeting to discuss on the private sector’s concerns and recommendations for the improvement of the public consultation process. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Finance and Economy, Mrs Delina Ibrahimaj, and by several business organizations ‘representatives.
In this meeting, FIAA was represented by the Executive Director Ms Marinela Jazoj and by the Newest Board Member Mr Sokol Elmazaj. During her word in the meeting, Ms Jazoj expressed that the presented findings from the Secretariat were not new to FIAA, which had already identified the lack of public consultation as a major problem for the business climate in the country. Among others, Ms Jazoj highlighted the following issues:
- Business associations should be consulted in the preliminary stages of drafting laws and bylaws. The process should provide enough time for the parties to be involved. She mentioned the contribution given to the consultation of the draft Unified Investment Law prepared by IFC and the World Bank 3 years ago and the fact that no trace has been left of this draft, while great energies were provided by the stakeholders and experts involved in the consultation process.
- The existence of other non-consulted practices, for example, from the local government (municipalities and municipal councils), which lack also transparency in their decision-making process to the damage of the business, by imposing arbitrary local tariffs. Consultation at both the local and central levels helps in terms of business-institutional relations by avoiding litigation.
- Eventually, she recommended the practice recently initiated by the MFE in relation to the working groups set up to discuss the recommendations of the business associations on various issues as a good initiative, but stressed that these meetings should be held at the stage of drafting acts and not when problems have already arisen during the implementation phase.
On the other side, Minister Ibrahimaj highlighted the importance of the public consultation process and its mechanisms for adopting meaningful legislation and integrating transparency in the process while providing the opportunity to the groups of interest and the public to contribute to the implementation of reforms. To this end, she highlighted as good practice the recent consultation of laws and bylaws package concerning the Fiscalization Reform. Minister Ibrahimaj expressed commitment to the process as evidenced through recent MFE’s consultations with the business community, while also emphasized the need for an improved business associations’ contribution through analytical comments for draft laws launched for public consultation through the electronic register or other instruments.
For more information please visit: https://www.investment.com.al/investment-council-puts-forward-recommendations-for-the-improvement-of-the-public-consultation-process/