Albania is a country in South-eastern Europe, defined within a territorial area of 28,748 km2 (11,100 sq mi), in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula with access to the Adriatic Sea. The country is divided into three regions – the Northern, Central and Southern Region – which consist of 12 counties and 61 municipalities.
Country Overview | Year | |
---|---|---|
Population | 2021 | 2,811,666 |
Country area (km2) | 2020 | 28,750 |
GDP (billion USD) | 2021 | 18.26 |
GDP per capita (USD) | 2021 | 6,494.4 |
World Bank Income Group | 2021 | Upper middle Income |
World Bank Region | 2021 | Europe & Central Asia |
Water and wastewater sector structure
The water supply and sanitation sector mainly operate through operators organized as a joint stock company owned by the local government. There are currently 57 operators, 53 of them operating under a Water Regulatory Authority (WRA) license and 48 operators that apply tariffs approved by WRA. Sewerage services are offered by 32 operators, five of which also do wastewater treatment.
AUTHORITY | LEVEL | ROLE |
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Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy (MIE) | National | Responsible for setting the priorities of the water sectors such as the implementation of Water Sector Reform and providing technical assistance to water and wastewater utilities |
National Agency of Water Supply. Sewerage and Waste Infrastructure (AKUM) | National | Independent unit under the MIE whose responsibilities range from sectoral investments to the drafting of policies. strategies, and action plans. |
National Water Council (NWC) | National | Inter-institutional body responsible for drafting policies and plans for integrated water resource management |
Water Resources Management Agency (WRMA) | National | The executive body of the NWC is responsible for developing and implementing policies and strategies related to integrated water resources. |
Water Regulatory Authority (WRA) | National | Independent national regulatory agency responsible for water and wastewater services |
Institute of Public Health | National | Part of the Ministry of Health, sets up standards for drinking water quality |
Municipalities | National | The owners of utilities who have responsibilities to provide water and wastewater services in their territorial area |
Water and wastewater utilities | National | Joint stock companies responsible for the provision of water and wastewater services on behalf of local governments |
The Water Regulatory Authority (WRA) was established in 1998 in accordance with Law No. 8102. It is an independent institution that responds directly to the Council of Ministers and to the Assembly of Albania to whom they report regularly through their Annual Report. The Council of Ministers appoints the Chair and the other members of the National Regulatory Commission (NRC). NRC consists of the Chair, who is the executive director, and four members. The NRC convenes regularly throughout the year to take decisions concerning all functions and tasks of the WRA.
The organizational structure also includes:
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A Technical and Economic Directorate consisting of three sectors, the License and Technical Sector, the Economic and Tariff Sector, and the Monitoring and Performance Sector:
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A Legal and Consumer Directorate consisting of two sectors, the Legal Sector and Public Relations and Consumer Sector;
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A Support Services Directorate consisting of two sectors, Human Resources and Finance Sector and Auxiliary Sector:
Mission
WRA’s mission is to ensure that water and sewerage service providers deliver the highest achievable quality at a fair price and in a financially sustainable manner to all Albanians.
Water and Wastewater Service Regulations
LEGISLATION AND POLICIES | YEAR | DESCRIPTION |
---|---|---|
Law No. 8102 On the Regulatory Framework of water supply and wastewater disposal and treatment sector | 1996 | Establishment of the regulatory framework for water supply in Albania and the independent national regulatory agency (WRA) |
Water and Sewage Code, No. 1304 | 2009 | Establishment of legal basis and requirements for the provision of water supply and sewerage by local governments |
Law No. 9902 On Consumer Protection | 2008 | Protection of interests of the consumers and their rights in the marketplace including the water sector |
Areas of Regulation
Water regulatory authority (WRA) | |
---|---|
Tariff calculation | Y |
Tariff approval | Y |
Licensing WSOs | Y |
Business plans approvals | N |
Performance indicators monitoring | Y |
Economic data collection | Y |
Technical data collection | Y |
Coming Soon.
Utilities in IBNET
Utility | Tariff Date | Link |
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Korca Water Supply and Sewerage Company (UKKO) | Jan 2018 | Tariff |
Tirana Water | Jan 2018 | Tariff |
A full list of tariffs for utilities in Albania can be found in the IBNET Tariff Database - Albania