Speech of Richard Martin Humphreys, Programme Team Leader of Transport at the General Roads Directorate Reform Workshop

Dear Mr Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen; maybe I can start by thanking Minister Olldashi for the opportunity to make a few introductory remarks to open this Workshop to discuss the consultants’ proposals. Although, given recent comments in the media, it would be most unfortunate if these supportive comments are also mis-represented.

The World Bank has a long history of successful collaboration with the Government of Albania and fully supports the desire of the Government to reform the General Road Directorate.  Reform of this institution is long overdue if Albania is going to ensure both the sustainability of the significant investment in the primary and secondary road network up to this point, and the provision of an effective road system that contributes fully to the economic development of the country.

It might be prudent at this point to mention some comparative facts – but the ratio of staff to km of road managed, a common measure of efficiency in a road directorate, is about 1:3 for the GRD, compared to the ‘best’ road directorates in the region which have a ratio of 1:30/1:40, and the best in the world, which have a ratio of 1:300.  GRD is the only road directorate in the Western Balkans that still uses its own labor to maintain the roads, and is one of the few that does not have a functioning Road Asset Management system. The report clearly identifies the extent of the deficiencies in the current institution.

However, a note of caution is prudent - Institutional reform requires significant and sustained commitment over a long period of time, and in the last seven years, there have been 5 Ministers of Transport, 11 General Directors of GRD, and over a slightly longer period, 3 previous and unsuccessful attempts to establish an Road Asset Management System in GRD.  

The establishment of a professional road authority requires careful planning and implementation. The organization needs autonomy to undertake and fulfill its responsibilities, free from interference; it needs autonomy in its human resource policy, to pay wages that are competitive with the private sector to ensure that it can attract good quality staff, and most importantly, it needs sufficient financial resources to ensure that it can fulfill its mandate.

This report, and the proposals contained therein, represents a substantive first step on the difficult road, and the World Bank with our donor partners, looks forward to working with the Government to implement these essential and long overdue reforms.

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