Albania has been ranked first in the Western Balkans for the modernization and integrity of the public procurement system, according to the latest SIGMA monitoring report.
This was announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama during the event "30 years of Public Procurement - Albania, regional leader in the modernization of procurement systems", where he emphasized that the country has undergone a radical transformation.
Rama said that this progress needs to be communicated more clearly in a politically polarized environment. He said that despite criticism, the data of recent years show a significant change compared to the past.
According to him, the achievements in this sector are the result of the work of the Public Procurement Agency and the Public Procurement Commission, as well as cooperation with international partners, including the World Bank.
The SIGMA report ranks Albania by a large margin above other countries in the region for performance in public procurement.
The Prime Minister also announced that the country is entering a new technological phase, where artificial intelligence will take a central role in procurement procedures.
"Today we are in an advanced process of putting the entire procurement process into the hands of artificial intelligence, with a very high percentage of the process not involving humans," he said, emphasizing that this is expected to increase transparency and minimize opportunities for abuse.
Rama also addressed concerns about the possibility of algorithm manipulation, guaranteeing that the "Diella" system will be fully auditable and traceable at every step. The final decision, according to him, will always remain in the hands of the relevant committees.
In conclusion, he emphasized the need for increased professionalism in the field of procurement.
The government has centralized all procedures at the Centralized Purchasing Operator, which aims to transform into a professional institution with specialized staff, managing thousands of procedures that require high expertise.
