The Ministry of Agriculture will remain in its current building until January 2027, paying an additional €809,000 from the state budget. Under an annex contract signed in September of this year, the ministry’s monthly rent has increased from €27,300 to €47,600. The ministry has also taken over additional office space, as well as paying rent for storage space and a generator.
Officials confirmed that the ministry will continue operating in the same premises it has occupied since 2019, now at a significantly higher cost to the state.
Although the 2023 annex contract set the monthly rent at €27,300, the new annex signed in early September raises it by €20,000, to a total of €47,600 per month.
The Ministry explained the increase by citing the need for extra space, noting that it has taken over an additional 1,000 square meters previously used by the Agriculture Development Agency (AZHB).
“The Ministry of Agriculture has also used the 7th floor of the building, which was paid for by the Agriculture Development Agency. Due to new circumstances — including the addition of the Central Forestry and Hunting Inspection Department with 12 inspectors and a deputy minister with his staff — we were forced to occupy the 8th floor,” the ministry stated.
According to documents obtained by KOHA, the ministry will now pay €1,600 per month for a 200-square-meter storage area for document archiving, which previously had been used free of charge. Additionally, the new annex includes a €500 monthly payment for a generator.
“The tenant is obligated to pay the landlord a gross monthly amount of €47,600 for rent, related infrastructure, uninterrupted power supply, parking, sanitation facilities, and phone and cable networks,” the September annex contract reads.
KOHA previously reported that the Ministry had promised to renew its contract with the current landlord before forming committees to seek alternative offers.
Internal communications show that the committee first collected offers and only afterward set the criteria — drafted within one hour at the request of Secretary-General Venera Çerkini. A new committee was then formed the same day to review offers based on those criteria.
The Ministry defended the process, saying it was carried out under urgent conditions due to the lack of available state-owned buildings.
“The criteria were basic and directly tied to the institution’s functional needs — space, technical conditions, accessibility, and security. Several offers were collected and compared objectively with the market,” the ministry said.
In fact, three separate committees refused to evaluate the offers, and it was only the fourth committee that proceeded, ultimately selecting the same building the ministry has used since 2019.
According to the Ministry’s financial data, between 2019 and mid-2025, a total of €3.379 million has been spent on rent for the ministry’s offices and the Agriculture Development Agency.
