Albania
9. Corruption
Corruption is a continuing problem in Albania, undermining the rule of law and jeopardizing economic development. Albania ranked 99th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Despite some improvement in the index from 2013 and 2014, progress in tackling corruption has been slow and unsteady. Albania remains one of the most corrupt countries in Europe, according to the CPI. The passage by Parliament of constitutional amendments in July 2016 to reform the judicial system was a major step forward, and reform, once fully implemented, is expected to position the country as a more attractive destination for international investors.
Judicial reform has been described as the most significant developments in Albania since the end of communism, and nearly one-third of the constitution was rewritten as part of the effort. The reform also entails the passage of laws to ensure implementation of the constitutional amendments. Judicial reform’s vetting process will ensure that prosecutors and judges with unexplained wealth, insufficient training, or those who have issued questionable past decisions are removed from the system. The reform is also establishing an independent prosecutor and a specialized investigation unit to investigate and prosecute corruption and organized crime. Once fully implemented, judicial reform will discourage corruption, promote foreign and domestic investment, and allow Albania to compete more successfully in the global economy.
UN Anticorruption Convention, OECD Convention on Combatting Bribery
The government has ratified several corruption-related international treaties and conventions and is a member of major international organizations and programs dealing with corruption and organized crime. Albania has ratified the Civil Law Convention on Corruption (Council of Europe), the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (Council of Europe), the Additional Protocol to Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (Council of Europe), and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Albania has also ratified several key conventions in the broader field of economic crime, including the Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime (2001); and the Convention on Cybercrime (2002). Albania has been a member of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) since the ratification of the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption, in 2001, and is a member of the Stability Pact Anti-Corruption Network (SPAI). Albania is not a member of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in international Business Transactions.
Resources to Report Corruption
In an effort to curb corruption, the government announced a new platform in 2017, “Shqiperia qe Duam” – “The Albania We Want,” which invites citizens to submit complaints and allegations of corruption and misuse of office by government officials. The platform has a dedicated link for businesses. The Integrated Services Delivery Agency (ADISA), a government entity, provides a second online portal to report corruption.
13. Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics
Table 2: Key Macroeconomic Data, U.S. FDI in Host Country/Economy
Host Country Statistical Source* | USG or International Statistical Source | USG or International Source of Data: BEA; IMF; Eurostat; UNCTAD, Other |
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Economic Data | Year | Amount | Year | Amount | |
Host Country Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ($M USD) | 2017 | $13,039 | 2017 | $13,039 | www.worldbank.org/en/country |
Foreign Direct Investment | Host Country Statistical Source* | USG or International Statistical Source | USG or International Source of Data: BEA; IMF; Eurostat; UNCTAD, Other |
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U.S. FDI in partner country ($M USD, stock positions) | 2017 | $89 | 2017 | $56 | BEA |
Host country’s FDI in the United States ($M USD, stock positions) | 2017 | N/A | 2017 | $0 | BEA |
Total inbound stock of FDI as % host GDP | 2017 | 55.4% | 2017 | 55.4% | UNCTAD |
* Source for Host Country Data: Bank of Albania (http://www.bankofalbania.org/ ), Albanian Institute of Statistics (http://www.instat.gov.al/ ), Albanian Ministry of Finances (http://www.financa.gov.al/ )
Table 3: Sources and Destination of FDI
Direct Investment from/in Counterpart Economy Data | |||||
From Top Five Sources/To Top Five Destinations (US Dollars, Millions) | |||||
Inward Direct Investment | Outward Direct Investment | ||||
Total Inward | $6,739 | 100% | Total Outward | $471 | 100% |
Greece | $1,279 | 19% | Kosovo | $314 | 66.6% |
Switzerland | $1,066 | 15.8% | Italy | $137 | 29% |
Canada | $1,051 | 15.5% | U.S.A. | $9 | 1.9% |
Netherlands | $944 | 14% | Netherlands | $2 | 0.4% |
Turkey | $508 | 7.5% | Germany | $2 | 0.4% |
“0” reflects amounts rounded to +/- USD 500,000. |
Table 4: Sources of Portfolio Investment
Portfolio Investment Assets | ||||||||
Top Five Partners (Millions, US Dollars) | ||||||||
Total | Equity Securities | Total Debt Securities | ||||||
All Countries | $814 | 100% | All Countries | $38 | 100% | All Countries | $776 | 100% |
Turkey | $258 | 32% | Turkey | $17 | 46% | Turkey | $241 | 44.4% |
Czech Rep. | $101 | 12% | Netherlands | $8 | 22% | Czech rep. | $101 | 14.76% |
Italy | $89 | 11% | Canada | $8 | 22% | Italy | $89 | 12.53% |
Germany | $67 | 8% | Bahamas | $2 | 5% | Germany | $67 | 9% |
Poland | $37 | 5% | U.S.A. | $2 | 5% | Poland | $37 | 2.78% |