US Alert for Albania: Corruption, Money Laundering and Property Robbery with the Help of the Courts

Prime Minister Rama’s government continues to receive slaps from the US. The US State Department has published the 2025 report on the investment climate, and corruption and money laundering are seen as the biggest problems.

According to the report provided by „Pamfleti“, informal money, mainly from drug trafficking, has disrupted the balance in the market.

The problems listed by the State Department are: corruption in the public sector, judiciary, and public procurement; unfair and distorted competition; a large informal economy; money laundering; frequent changes in fiscal legislation; property rights, and poor contract enforcement.

“ The emigration of young and skilled workers has created labor shortages that affect investment prospects. The business community reports that the large flow of illicit income from drug trafficking, smuggling, tax evasion, and corruption distorts competition in the market. Investors report that they may be targets of extortion by public administration, the media, and criminal groups ,” the report says.

Corruption is also seen as a problem. Although Rama claims to crack down on corruption with tenders through Diella, for DASH, this sector is among the most problematic.

“ Reports of corruption in government procurement are common, with investors frequently reporting instances of government corruption that delay and deter investment in Albania. The continued use of public-private partnership (PPP) contracts has reduced opportunities for competition, including from foreign investors, in infrastructure and other sectors. Poor analysis and a lack of technical expertise in the design and monitoring of PPP contracts are ongoing concerns. Some U.S. investors have faced contentious commercial disputes with public and private entities, including some that have gone to international arbitration ,” it further states.

The report notes that property rights continue to be a challenge in Albania, as it is difficult to obtain a clear title to land. It says there have been cases of individuals allegedly manipulating the judicial system to obtain illegal land titles. Overlapping title deeds are widespread.

Excerpt from the report

Foreign direct investment from the United States accounts for a small but growing share. At the end of 2024, foreign direct investment in the United States stock in Albania, according to the Bank of Albania, reached $382 million, up from $300 million at the end of 2023 (Albanian government data).

Albania has vast economic potential, a sound legal framework, and has made progress in curbing petty corruption by digitizing public services for both citizens and businesses. Albania’s score on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index improved from 37 to 42 out of 100 in 2024. However, foreign investors continue to perceive Albania as a difficult place to do business. They cite ongoing challenges for investment and doing business in Albania due to:

-corruption in the public sector, judiciary and public procurement;
-unfair and distorted competition;
-a large informal economy;
-money laundering;
-frequent changes in fiscal legislation;
-property rights; and
-poor contract enforcement.

The emigration of young and skilled workers has created labor shortages that affect investment prospects. The business community reports that the large flow of illegal income from drug trafficking, smuggling, tax evasion, and corruption distorts competition in the market. Investors report that they can be targets of extortion by public administration, the media, and criminal groups.

Reports of corruption in government procurement are common, with investors frequently reporting instances of government corruption that delay and deter investment in Albania. The continued use of public-private partnership (PPP) contracts has reduced opportunities for competition, including from foreign investors, in infrastructure and other sectors. Poor analysis and a lack of technical expertise in the design and monitoring of PPP contracts are ongoing concerns. Some U.S. investors have faced contentious commercial disputes with public and private entities, including some that have gone to international arbitration.

Property rights continue to be a challenge in Albania, as it is difficult to obtain clear title to land. There have been cases of individuals allegedly manipulating the judicial system to obtain illegal land titles. Overlapping property titles are widespread. The compensation process for land confiscated by the former communist regime remains cumbersome, inefficient, and inadequate. The government has stated its intention to address this problem, but progress has been limited.