At a time when the lack of drinking water continues to affect urban centers and many areas of the country, public investments in water supply and sewage networks are progressing at a slow pace.
Of the 14.38 billion lek programmed for 2026, only 4.39 billion lek had been spent by the end of July, or 30.5% of the fund, according to official data from the Ministry of Finance.
Budget data shows that projects that should improve the situation are not being implemented at the planned pace.
For the budget to be fully implemented by the end of December, the responsible institutions must spend an average of about 2 billion lek per month. This requires a pace more than three times higher than the monthly average for the January-July period.
Almost half of the budget on projects without any expenses
Of the 284 projects with an approved budget this year, 201 had not recorded any expenditure by the end of July 2026. A total of about 6.8 billion lek were foreseen for these projects, equivalent to 47.6% of the total fund.
Delays take on particular importance in the conditions when some cities continue to lack uninterrupted water supply. Unrealized investments are related to the construction and reconstruction of water supply systems, the expansion of sewage networks and wastewater treatment plants.
Regional companies used only 19% of the funds
The National Water Supply and Sewerage Agency presented the highest level of implementation among the main institutions. By July, the Agency had spent about 2.9 billion lek out of the 6.08 billion programmed, or 47.7%. The performance of the Regional Water Supply and Sewerage Companies was much weaker. Out of the 6.54 billion lek available, they had used only 1.26 billion lek, with an implementation of 19.2%.
These companies have a direct role in managing supply systems, reducing losses and improving service. The low pace of investment limits the possibility of intervention in depreciated networks and postpones the expansion of service in areas with insufficient supply. In some municipalities, projects had not recorded any expenditure. In Vlorë, Patos, Bulqizë, Has and Mallakastër, unused funds totaled over 1.17 billion lekë.
The Municipality of Vlora had about 659 million lek programmed, but the implementation until July was zero. Patosi had 281 million lek available, while Bulqiza had about 116 million lek, also without recorded expenses.
Vlora receives the largest investments in water supply
The largest project in the program is “Municipal Infrastructure V (Credit)”, with a fund of about 1.02 billion lek. About 760 million lek were spent on it, or 74.3% of the budget. The project for the water supply of coastal areas also performed well. By July, about 274.7 million lek out of the programmed 301.2 million had been used, with 91.2% implementation. About 176.2 million lek were spent on the construction of the sewage network from Lungomare to the treatment plant from a fund of 320.7 million lek, or 54.9%. But some of the investments with a large financial weight had not started.
The reconstruction of the water supply system in 15 villages of Vlora, for which around 346.1 million lek had been foreseen, had not even started financially. The water supply system in the Uji i Ftohtë and Lungomare areas also resulted in no expenses, with a budget of 301.4 million lek. As can be seen, the majority of investments in this area were concentrated in the Vlora region, leaving out of attention entire villages and cities throughout the country that suffer from water shortages./ Monitor
