Ilir Rarapaj, who Edi Rama had made multi-million

Ilir Rarapaj was one of the thousands of Albanians in Italy who had established a modest venture to make a living as an immigrant.

In 2000, he had established a small construction company “Ali saw Tepelena” in Perugia, where he was employed, two of his relatives and one employed.

But in 2013 his life changed forever. Several meetings, originally with the newly elected prime minister at the time, Edi Rama, and further with the Minister of Health, Ilir Beqaj, during their visits to Perugia, provided Rarapaj with a worthy history “Hyrushee”.

Ilir Rarapaj today is the main shareholder in the concessionary company. “SaniService”, which will collect about 100m euros, from the 10-year concession for the Sterilisation of surgical equipment for the needs of the University Hospital Centre “Mother Teresa”, Tirana.

For “Ilir Rarapaj, it seems, the princes who changed his life were at the helm of the Albanian government. Their “Puthea” was the handover of a highly controversial and charged concession at a time when Albanian finances are in the most difficult situation possible.

Sterilization concession

On February 16th 2015, the Albanian Government, through the Ministry of Health, announces the tender for concession/public private partnership (PPP) for providing the personal set of sterile surgical instruments, the supply of sterile medical material to surgical halls, as well as the treatment of biorisk wastes and the disinfectment of surgical halls.

The tender was estimated at the value of about 100m euros, which would be paid to the concession winner from the State Budget for a 10-year period. However, according to some later interventions, the government added the concession value to around 135m euros.

Five operators, 3 of whom had not submitted bids, participated in the tender, and for that reason automatically qualified.

In April 2015, the Health Ministry announces the unification of Kosovo-registered operator Ilir Rhapakj “Investal” and three Italian companies. Concretically; “Serviz Italy”, registered in Parma, as well as Perudisants “Tecnosanimed<5> and “U.jet”srl.

The losing company complained of the Health Ministry's decision to the Public Procurement Commission (KPP).

In September 2015, the Public Procure Commission decided to partially accept the complaint, asking the Ministry of Health to review certain aspects of the tender.

After reviewing the procedures, the Health Ministry, in December 2015, decided to again declare the same union of operators that had qualified at the beginning.

Already, the Albanian company Rarapaj and three Italian companies were united into one, creating concessionian “Saniservice”

Who are the concession companies?

In July 2015, “is created Saniservice”, with the composition of: “Investal” by 40 per cent, with initial contribution 8 thousand euros; “Svizi Italy” by 30%, with initial contribution of 6 000 euros; as well as “Technosid” and “U.jet”, with 15 per cent each, with an initial contribution of 3 thousand euros.

1. Company “Investial” It was created by Albanian national Ilir Rarapaj in Kosovo. Rerapaj, until then, was a small entrepreneur in Perugia, Italy.

2. Company “ there are no high credits in the sterilization field. On its website, the company claims its only activity outside Italy is participation in the Sterilim concession in Albania.

“Tecnosid srlSince 2016, he's a founding partner of “SaniService” shpek in Tirana. Saniservice is the owner of a 10-year Private Public Partnership contract with the Albanian Health Ministry”, said on the company's page.

3. Company “It also does not seem to have considerable activity. In fact, on its website, the latest developments date back to 2014. Since then, the former” did not seem to have had any activity to advertise.

4. “Servizi Italy” seems to be the main company in the <x2 sessioner SaniService”, despite resulting in the second partner in the share number.

In the act of establishing concessionary company “Saniservice”, 3 of the companies have chosen to be represented by Umberto Staccini, manager of “Servizi Italy”.

“Servizi Italy” in Albania

Italian company “Servizi Italy” It is the only one of the three Italian concession members to have another trade activity in Albania.

Based on data from the National Record Center (QKR), “Servizi Italy” results to be shareholder with 40% of “Sanitary Clearing”. The majority partner, by 60%, turns out to be a company registered in the Netherlands, “Berniv bv”.

“Sanitary Clearing” It was established in 2014 by Albanian national Fatos Deliu. As long as Deliu owned, “Sanitary Clearing” had declared its headquarters in the American Hospital's environments.

Deliu, in 2018, sells 40% of shares to the company “Servizi Italy”, which had already started business activity in Albania through the concession of Steriliism.

Furthermore, Fatos Deliu sells 60% to a company registered in the Netherlands, “Bernev bv”. Fatos Deliu stripped of the stake in “Clearing Sanitary”, but its administrator is appointed, which will hold until 2023.

Company “Sanitary Clearing”, in 2017, about a year before joining “Serviz Italy”, wins the controversial Laundry tender of Durres Hospital, worth about 1.5m euros.

For this tender, there was a series of public complaints. However, the contractor authority eventually declared the company “the winner.Sanitary Clearing”.

In addition to this tender, this company has won another group of tenders, which, according to the opinion”, are estimated at around 100,000 euros.

The Fruitage of Sterileization Costs

In the concessional contract of Sterilization, the possibility of price change was predicted. The way the contract is drafted gives the impression that the Albanian state could lower the costs it must pay for the concession company, initially estimated at around 100m euros.

But implementation proved much different. In the 2019 budget, the government reported that the total sterilization bill was 12.3 billion dollars, or $100m.

But on budget boards, the cost of this concession has increased to 16.5 billion dollars, or about 135m euros. So just in the arch of a year's Sterilization bill has increased by 35m euros or 34 percent.

While the Albanian state increased bills it had to pay, the concessionian “SaniService” declared triple her profits.

In balance for 2018, “SaniService” declared a profit of 218m euros (approximately 2m euros).

That figure was three times higher than the previous year's profit. In 2017, concessionian “SaniService” had declared the value of 72 million new money (about 600 thousand euros).

* Published by Bold News.al, April 1, 2020