The project to transform the Palace of Congresses, initially presented as an intervention for the requalification of the building, will be accompanied by the construction of a tower and thousands of square meters of new construction areas in one of the most coveted areas of the capital.
The winner of the competition has been announced as the consortium consisting of “Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd”, Julian Beqiri, Marsela Demaj, Michel Desvigne (MDP), Gentian Shkurti, SUEB Industries sh.pk, The Space Factory Ltd and KLAR sh.pk.
While the presentation talked about greenery, public spaces, and preserving the identity of the Palace of Congresses, what stands out is the fact that the project ends again at a tower, in a city that is being overwhelmed by tall buildings.
But the problem is not just the concreteization of Tirana. The problem is that Edi Rama continues to collaborate behind the scenes with Sali Berisha.
The most interesting company is “KLAR” sh.pk, which has attracted attention. The company is owned by businessman Shkëlqim Beshiri, a businessman who has become known as Shkëlzen Berisha’s “presta nome” in many of the land businesses launched in his name.
Through Sali Berisha’s connections, Shkëlqim Beshiri has received from Edi Rama a building permit for 3 hotels in Himara and a “Strategic Investor” permit for a villa and palace complex with a land area of 119 hectares of state land in Lalëz; 28 hectares of which are pine forest by the sea.
On November 17, 2025, he received permission to build a residential tower, commercial unit and hotel with 65 floors above ground and 6 floors underground on the New Boulevard in Tirana, for which he declared the source of financing.
But it seems that now, behind the logo of Shkëlqim Beshir’s “KLAR” sh.pk firm, the Berisha family also stands at the tower near the Palace of Congresses. This is Rama’s next target for the Berisha family, as he has granted dozens of permits for palaces through Fatmir Bektashi. Fatmir Bektashi is the partner of Berisha’s son-in-law.
In April 2025, it was Prime Minister Edi Rama who floated the idea of building PPP towers in the area of the Palace of Congresses. He then made it a fait accompli and initiated the procedure to quickly implement it.
With Notice No. 560/4, dated November 27, 2025, the Director of the Investment Corporation, Elira Kokona, announced the competition for the project with the object “Development through private enterprise of the multifunctional facility near the Congress Palace in Tirana”.
To implement this private-public project, the Investment Corporation adhered to Decision No. 503, dated September 10, 2025 of the government, with which it took ownership of the 4,760 m² public land, a flower garden around the Palace of Congresses, which was previously owned by the Municipality of Tirana.
Now, on this flowerbed, towers with apartments, commercial units, offices, entertainment venues and underground parking will be built, under the guise of compensation for the investment for the revitalization of the Palace of Congresses. And behind them is the son of the opposition leader.
The tower project near the Palace of Congresses is a copy of all the previous tower projects that Edi Rama has approved in Tirana and other cities. The same scheme has been applied to the “Asllan Rusi” Sports Palace, the “Selman Stërmasi” Stadium, the “Zyber Hallulli” Children’s Home, the Albanian Telegraphic Agency, as well as the tower projects around the stadiums in Durrës, Vlora and Korçë./Pamphlet