ENGINEERS AND ENGINEERING INDUSTRY IN ALBANIA TOWARD NEW CHALLENGES Sofia, 21 May 2018 Faruk KABA Ph.D.
MISSION AACE is the official representative of Engineering Consulting industry in Albania. Our mission is: Providing support for all consultant engineers by identifying their rights and by focusing on application of fair professional practices, aiming to achieve sustainable results and to make the engineering consultants a trustable point of reference for the development of the country!
AACE WAS ESTABLISHED BY TIRANA COURT DECISION ON MAY 10th, 2000 IN THE SAME YEAR WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORT AS OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF CONSUTING ENGINEERS IN ALBANIA IN 2001, IN MONTREUX, SWITZERLAND, THE GENERAL ESSAMBLY OF INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS FIDIC, HAS ACCEPTED THE REQUEST OF AACE TO BECOME A FULL MEMBER OF THIS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
SINCE 2000 AACE IS STRIVING TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF ALBANIAN ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY AND PROMOTING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES IN THE COUNTRY REPRESENTING THE ALBANIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL LEVELS, CONSIDERABLY SIGNIFICATIVE AFTER BECOMING MEMBER OF FIDIC
OUR VISION AACE continuously extends the involvement of engineers in the development of the sector on one hand and its influence over the related government institutions on the other, in order to be the rightful representative of all engineers and their concerns. AACE is working to improve the standards and the environment of engineering consulting businesses against corruption and bribery based mainly on the code of ethics
S O M E O F T H E M A I N A C T I V I T I E S Participation in the yearly FIDIC General Assembly Meetings The 1 st and 2 nd Albanian Congress on Roads in Albania with International participation, Tirana, September 2012 and September 2015 Organizing in December/2006 of the Second Conference of Consulting Associations of Balkans with the participation of Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Albania, and the invited Associations of Consulting Engineers from Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro. The presence of FIDIC and other European Organizations. Participation in the Mediterranean Conference in Lecce,, April 2014 where it became member of the Mediterranean Association of Consulting Engineers (with the initiative of the Italian Association).
National Conference on the establishment of the National Masterplan of Roads, January 2006, Tirana Support in the establishment of the Association of Engineers of Kosovo, 2015 Establishment of a Board of Counselors by the office of the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Albania, 2014 Participation in the international Conferences and in the presentation of Infrastructure Projects of Albania: Vienna, Austria 2006 and 2008; Turin, Italy 2008 (with the Chamber of Commerce of Turin); Skopje and Ohrid, Macedonia, 2007 and 2009; Crans Montana, Tirana, Albania 2011, 2013 and other events.
Almost every year technical scientific events conferences on transport infrastructure, water and energy sectors Collaboration with the Order of Engineer of the Lombardy Region in Italy. Signing of bilateral protocol of cooperation, February 2015. Protocol of Cooperation and collaboration with: HELLASKO (Greek Association of Consulting Engineers), 2005, Turkish Association ACTEA etc. Participation in the Activities of FIDIC for the Young Professionals, training FIDIC type of Contract (the last in June 2015), etc.
Three are the main challenges towards the achievement of our goals: Adoption of realistic and strong anti corruption articles in the Public Procurement Legislation Establishment of the Order of Engineers as the solution for the certification of the engineers, regulation of engineering profession s rights, obligations and fair practice Installment of the new research nucleus centers according the rationality and guidelines of free market economy
1.Adoption of realistic and strong anti corruption articles in the Public Procurement Legislation In this concern after long and patient struggle with public sector, finally, last year, AACE succeeded to achieve some corrections on the Albanian Law for Public Procurement, especially on the Standard Tender Documents as a supplementary official documents issued by the Government. This is in the equalization of our Albanian legislation with EU legislation in this regard
2. Establishing of the Order of Engineers as the solution for the certification of the engineers, regulation of engineering profession s rights, obligations and fair practice Steps ahead: Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy of Albania, with focus on its main purpose concerning the establishment of the Order of Engineers in Albania. The Albanian Order of Engineers will be based mainly on the Italian version of Ordine degli Ingegnieri.
January 23 24, 2018 Mission of AACE was in Rome for a visit at CNI (Italian National Council of Engineers) offices to discuss for the establishment of the Order of Engineers in Albania looking for their support. Signed a Memorandum of Understanding Memorandum of Understanding between the Italian CNI (National Council of Engineers) and AACE.
3. Establishment of new research centers according the rationality and guidelines of free market economy Nowadays Scientific Research is considered crucial for the development for every country. Developed countries are distinguished especially by the provision for science and scientific research. Financing of the science in our days in developed countries is in the range of 3 4% of GDP. Is clear that this investment increase in exponential way production and prosperity. Albania is country where the investment for science is forgotten : with only 0.16 % of GDP se (world average is 2.09% of GDP), Albania is in 193 world ranking place!!!!
To date, the Albanian experience and tradition in financing such research / scientific institutions of academic orientation only by the state budget sources, has proven not successful, not realistic and not optimistic.
In Albania are accredited about 80 universities, which are far from being identified as scientific and research centers in the service of economy, business and manufacturing. During the years of centralized economy, Albania had institutions of research orientation, but most of them (more than 90%) did not succeeded to resist in the challenging conditions of the market economy. Establishing of scientific research centers according market economy concepts is very important for the country s progress.
It means establishing scientific structures financed through their own production, which means FINANCING THROUGHOUT CONTRACTS with a tariff over every contract, which means lastly FINANCING THROUGHOUT PROJECTS. It is an universal formula and an intelligent instrument to available scientific development on the conditions of the market economy.
AACE is working hard since more than a decade to convince respective Albanian authorities to go ahead in this direction for the benefits of the country s economy and for the progress of Albania. However, AACE will need substantial supporters for this challenge and the best ones will be engineering association of the region and especially of European Union.
Thank you! Dr. Eng. Faruk KABA E mail: president@aace.al