Fusha shpk: municipal and government contracts (Tirana, Durrës, Vlorë, 2015-2026)
Status: Contracts ongoing; allegations from press; no court finding in this round
Summary
Fusha shpk is one of the largest contractors in Albania by contract value. Exit.al's 2018 reporting (based on Open Data Albania and Tirana tender lists) says it became almost exclusive contractor to Tirana municipality during Erion Veliaj's tenure as mayor, and says that 13 of its 28 Tirana contracts were direct procurements or had problematic tenders. Named projects include the Skanderbeg Square reconstruction (only Fusha qualified, per Exit.al), the underground parking (procured by negotiation without prior notice, which Exit.al calls illegal), the Pyramid reconstruction (lowest bid about €10 million against a fund of about €13.5 million, per Exit.al, with Edil Al), the Vlorë Boulevard renovation (over €7.5 million, tender won March 2018) and consortium works with Everest, Bajrami, Colombo and Besta.
Shqiptarja (16 Jan 2025) lists Fusha third among 2024 government contractors (seven contracts, about 4 billion lekë; owner reported as Shkëlqim Fusha) and says it had returned to the top of rankings in 2023 after several years' absence.
Exit.al also reported an alleged link to the National Theatre project (land area question, Veliaj and Rama allegedly handpicked the company). These are press allegations.
Key facts
- Jul 2015 to Jul 2018: at least 3.6 billion lekë from individual municipal contracts and at least 1.5 billion lekë from consortium contracts (Exit.al, 4 Aug 2018).
- Tirana under Veliaj: 28 contracts worth over 3.3 billion lekë (€27 million), per Exit.al 2018.
- 2024: seven contracts, about 4 billion lekë (Shqiptarja, 16 Jan 2025).
- Pyramid tender: bid about €10 million vs fund about €13.5 million (Exit.al, undated in reviewed excerpt).
The record
Four lists kept apart on purpose: what is established, what is only alleged, what is still open, and what those concerned said.
What is proven (1)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- Fusha is a major contractor by value according to two press analyses of public tender data (2018 and 2025).
What is alleged (2)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationThat tenders were rigged or steered (Exit.al 2018).
- AllegationThat the National Theatre land deal was favourable to Fusha (Exit.al 2018).
Allegations and who made them (3)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- AllegationExit.al (2018): Fusha was steered contracts during Veliaj's tenure as Tirana mayor, and the Skanderbeg Square and underground parking awards were irregular.
- AllegationExit.al (2018): Edi Rama allegedly handpicked Fusha alongside Veliaj for the National Theatre project.
- AllegationExit.al (2018) alleges that Fusha's ties to the National Theatre project would give it over 1,300 m2 plus the current theatre building in exchange for a new building, while it owns only 298 m2 of the area.
Open questions (3)
- Current status of the Skanderbeg Square and National Theatre contracts.
- Owner and director records in QKB and any ties to municipal officials.
- Whether any Fusha tender is part of the 5D or Veliaj SPAK files (dataset records mention Fusha among companies in the Veliaj case; source wording not verified here).
Responses (2)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- No response from Fusha shpk, Tirana municipality or the government is included in the Exit.al article reviewed (2018).
- Shqiptarja 2025 article contains no response.
Figures
Money trail →Fusha 2024: 7 contracts
4,000,000,000 lek
Stated definition: Press figure as reported.
Date: 2024 · Payer: Government · Payee: Fusha shpk
- Kontraktoret me të mëdhenj të qeverisë me 2024 (opens in a new tab)Shqiptarja · 16 Jan 2025 · contract · SQ
Fusha municipal contracts Jul 2015-Jul 2018 (individual)
3,617,778,081 lek
Stated definition: Table figure from Shqiptarja/ODA; text says 3.782 billion lekë; Exit 2018 says at least 3.6 billion lekë individual plus 1.5 billion consortium.
Date: Jul 2018 · Payer: Municipalities · Payee: Fusha shpk
- Investimet: 50 subjektet që kanë marrë më shumë tendera nga bashkitë (opens in a new tab)Shqiptarja · 29 Jul 2018 · contract · SQ
- Fusha shpk Receives over €43 Million from Municipal Contracts (opens in a new tab)Exit.al · 4 Aug 2018 · contract · EN
Hypotheses
Possible explanations that connect this record with other findings. They are not findings; each lists the evidence for and against.
- Source label: Unverified
A small group of contractors moved from Tirana's contracts under Veliaj to national contracts
In 2024, 50 companies won 62% of the 129 billion lekë in government contracts, led by Gjoka Konstruksion, Salillari, Fusha and BE-IS. Fusha and Albstar were also the dominant contractors of Tirana municipality under Erion Veliaj, where SPAK's 5D file alleges 12 rigged tenders. The overlap suggests the same network grew from municipal to national contracts.
Evidence for
- BIRN data: top 50 firms took 62% of 2024 government contract value.
- Exit (2018): Fusha received the bulk of Tirana contracts, several direct or problematic.
- SPAK sent the 5D file (12 Tirana tenders, about 193 million lekë in alleged gains) to trial.
Evidence against
- Concentration also reflects the few firms able to do large works.
- No common company is documented between the 5D file and the national top contractors.
- No court has found these national awards rigged.
- Source label: Unverified
Contract value is concentrated among firms whose owners have political access, and this is what enables steered tenders
Two independent press rankings (2018 and 2025) show the same contractors near the top (Fusha, Salillari, Gjoka, G.P.G.). Exit.al's analysis of Tirana tenders links Fusha to a mayor who was later charged, and its National Theatre reporting links the contractor to Rama and Veliaj. If owners have access, tenders would be steered (single bidders, direct procedures, technical disqualifications such as Albstar's) and the concentration would persist across administrations.
Evidence for
- Fusha ranks first in the 2015-2018 municipal ranking and third in 2024; it is also one of the top four in 2024 (Shqiptarja 2025).
- Exit.al (2018): 13 of 28 Fusha Tirana contracts were direct or problematic; Skanderbeg Square tender had one qualifier.
- Albstar's Italia Square award followed disqualification of four bidders with lower prices (Exit.al).
- Shqiptarja (2025): top 50 companies took 62% of 2024 value.
Evidence against
- The 2025 figures are from press analysis of procurement data, not an official audit; the 2018 and 2025 figures for the same firm conflict in places (Fusha text vs table).
- No owner of Fusha, Salillari, Gjoka or Albstar has been charged in the sources reviewed here; no court finding was found.
- Large firms may win because they are the only qualified bidders in specialised works; the press analysis does not count bids per tender.
- Exit.al's Fusha reporting names no owner and includes no response from the company; the link to Rama is the outlet's allegation.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 3 sources.
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 3 sources
- Publisher
- Exit.al
- Date
- 4 Aug 2018
- Publisher
- Shqiptarja
- Date
- 16 Jan 2025
- Publisher
- Shqiptarja (Open Data Albania)
- Date
- 29 Jul 2018