(Copyright 2004. Financial Times Information Limited - Asia AfricaIntelligence Wire. All Material Subject to Copyright.)
Unscrupulous constructors searching for maximum profits and speed are putting the lives of tens of thousands of Albanians at risk in buildings that do not meet seismic building codes, experts warn.
While the southern Balkan country of Albania is located in a region of high seismic activity, an estimated 60% of buildings constructed in the country in the last 10 years have escaped any type of seismic technical control.
"An earthquake in Albania, which is situated in a seismic activity zone, could have disastrous consequences," said Zarif Dervishi, director of the Institute of Technology Studies and Construction.
In the capital of Tirana alone, half of the nearly 18,000 new buildings are exposed to seismic risk. Yet according to specialists, few contractors respect international security norms for building in seismic zones.
Out of the more than 1,000 Albanian construction firms, less than 400 have the proper documents signifying that they build according to code in a seismic zone.
"The others continue to build without an official permit," said Mr. Dervishi. "It is easy to obtain a certificate of reliability from a ghost laboratory that allows a contractor to continue his work," he added.
The number of construction firms submitting their buildings to some form of inspection varies across the country.
In the northern city of Shkoder, 29% of companies submit to inspection. But in the southern town of Gjirokaster, birthplace of Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha, less than 3% bother with the procedure.
The country has no law forcing builders to insure their work against natural disaster.
"What interests constructors is to earn money as fast as possible and with the least expenditure possible," said Ismet Kamenica, a specialist who follows the building code.
According to a report by the International Monetary Fund, Albania's construction industry has grown twice as fast as the country's economy in the last three years, pushing forward at a rate of 8.7%-11.3% a year.
Yet the Albanian building sector, still suffering from the effects of the fall of communism, is only able to provide 30% of the country's building needs in steel and iron.
The Albanian press has frequently denounced the import of steel and iron of substandard quality from countries of the former Soviet Union, notably Ukraine.
"In most cases, these materials are imported without a certificate of origin," said Flora Adhami, a building specialist in the town of Pogradc.
"The most worrisome thing is the complicity of government officials who are supposed to be in charge of surveying construction," Mr. Dervishi said.
According to engineer Pjeter Ndreu, companies greasing the palms of inspectors are not only escaping taxes. "They are speculating on the quality of the material used."
"A more strict legal framework would help us avoid speculation and force companies to respect the rules," said Mr. Kamenica.
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