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ATCI: Albanian Times, 97-08-31
Albanian Times
Vol. III, No. 1 August 1997
CONTENTS
[01] Central Bank Governor Appointed
[02] Italy Prepares Marshall Plan for Albania
[03] Italy's Dini Calls for Patience
[04] Albania-Italy: Gap on Refugees Remains
[05] Nano Denies Polemics with Prodi
[06] Central Bank Body Proposes New Governor
[07] Government to Exempt Imported Grain from Taxes
[08] Albania's Jobless Rate Estimated at 10 Percent
[09] Auditors to Investigate Money Schemes
[10] Experts Demand Auditing of State Banks
[11] Albania to Curb Tobacco Smuggling
[12] Expected Increase in Utility Prices
[13] Albania-IMF Continue Discussions
[14] State Department Announces 1999 Visa Lottery
[01] Central Bank Governor Appointed
TIRANA, Aug 31 - Albanian President Rexhep Meidani has appointed Socialist
Shkelqim Cani as the new central bank governor, replacing the former
governor Qamil Tusha. Meidani also agreed to replace deputy central bank
governor Elisabeta Gjoni with Fatos Ibrahimi. Tusha was appointed in April
with a seven-year mandate by former president Sali Berisha. Albania's
parliament elected six new members two weeks ago to the central bank's
supervisory council.
[02] Italy Prepares Marshall Plan for Albania
ROME, Aug 30 - Italy is preparing a multi-million dollar ``Marshall Plan''
to help rebuild Albania and prevent a flood of refugees pouring in from
Europe's poorest country. Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini was quoted by
Milan daily Corriere della Sera as saying the government plan would send
some 210 billion lire ($120 million) in aid to Tirana over the next three
years. However, Dini said the plan was not yet finalised and the sum was
merely indicative of what the government had in mind. Albanian Prime
Minister Fatos Nano expressed gratitude for the aid package.
[03] Italy's Dini Calls for Patience
RIMINI, August 30 - Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini called for
tolerance and patience in dealing with the problem of Albanian refugees in
Italy. He told reporters that the important thing was that Tirana had
accepted the principle that the 10,000 refugees should be repatriated. On
Friday the government decided that repatriation should be completed in
stages and that the Albanians would not have to leave when their temporary
residence permits expire on Sunday. Dini was asked whether some of the
recent positions taken by the Albanian authorities did not smack of
arrogance. "A great country should know how to show patience when dealing
with a small country which is now facing up to democracy,'' Dini said.
[04] Albania-Italy: Gap on Refugees Remains
ROME, August 28 - Albanian negotiators meeting with Rome ministry officials
are pressing for a six-month delay in the repatriation of thousands of
Albanians. Sources said 12 hours of talks failed to close the gap between
the Tirana position of calling for a six-month delay for repatriation,
beyond the original August 31 deadline, and the Rome side. The Italian
government is aiming at returning the Albanian refugees in stages,
beginning with young unmarried males to be sent home at the end of
September and continuing with other categories. The last would be those who
are hosted or sponsored by members of their families who have established
residence in Italy.
[05] Nano Denies Polemics with Prodi
ROME, August 28 - Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano flatly denied any
disagreement with Italy's Prime Minister Romano Prodi. He said the alleged
criticism by Prodi was pure invention by the Italian media. Nano told
Italian TV he hoped the Rome cabinet, meeting on Friday, would handle the
issue of the refugees ''in the context of efforts we are waging to bring
first to Albania Italian economic interests, the business interrupted these
past months, to give work to thousands of Albanians, before returning the
refugees.'' An extension of the deadline for their repatriation by two
months, said the premier, ''would bring forward more quickly the cooperation
programs with Italy.'' Questioned on what timetable he had in mind for
returning the refugees, Nano said he was ''indifferent to the date, if we
are able to develop the instruments, the accords and also the structures to
make them feel they are no longer refugees in Italy, and no longer aliens
in Europe.''
[06] Central Bank Body Proposes New Governor
TIRANA, August 28 - Albania's central bank supervisory board has voted out
central bank governor Qamil Tusha and proposed the appointment of Shkelqim
Cani as his successor. The supervisory council proposed to President Rexhep
Mejdani to appoint Shkelqim Cani as central bank governor. Tusha was
appointed in April with a seven-year mandate by ex-president Sali Berisha.
The board also proposed to replace deputy governor Elisabeta Gjoni with
Fatos Ibrahimi. Albania's parliament elected six new members to the central
bank's supervisory council a week ago.
[07] Government to Exempt Imported Grain from Taxes
TIRANA, August 27 - Albanian government plans to exempt imported wheat and
corn from customs taxes in an effort to protect flour production. President
Rexhep Meidani is expected to issue a decree to that effect, Albanian media
report. Imported grain is already exempted from Value Added Tax. Albania is
said to have 78 grain processing factories and 33 mills with a capacity of
300-350 tons a year. Apparently the government is trying to discourage
flour imports in favor of grain.
[08] Albania's Jobless Rate Estimated at 10 Percent
TIRANA, August 26 - Albanian experts put the country's jobless rate at 10
percent. Economists speaking at a news conference sponsored by the
Institute of Economy, Finance and Business and the Albanian Free Entrepreneurs
Association in Tirana said unemployment is estimated at about 300,000
people with inflation at 40 percent.
[09] Auditors to Investigate Money Schemes
TIRANA, August 22 - Albanian government has appointed three auditors to
investigate both surviving and defunct high-interest money schemes in an
effort to give back to investors what money is left in them. ``The
administrators will immediately place under their control the main
(existent) firms -- Vefa, Kamberi and Silva and others,'' Prime Minister
Fatos Nano told Albanian television. Some of the surviving schemes have
frozen payments to investors, citing security concerns, or pay minimal
sums. Nano said the administrators would join forces with prosecutors who
are looking into collapsed schemes, including Sudja, Populli and Xhaferri.
According to press reports, the winding down of the surviving companies
could be carried out within a week after a scrutiny by the auditors.
Managers of the alleged high-interest money schemes are contesting the
appointment of temporary administrators.
[10] Experts Demand Auditing of State Banks
TIRANA, August 26 - Albanian government officials are asking for foreign
independent auditors to look into the possibility of privatising the
country's state banks or eliminating them completely. The Agrarian
Commercial Bank and the National Commercial Bank are the immediate targets
of the new demands. The issue was also discussed with an IMF mission
currently in Albania. Albanian experts believe the supervisers must be
foreigners to guarantee their independence. Many regional branches of both
banks have been closed or attached to Savings Bank offices.
[11] Albania to Curb Tobacco Smuggling
TIRANA, August 27 - Albanian Parliament has recommended measures to curb
tobacco smuggling. Parliament's Economy Commission has asked finance
ministry to present a detailed report on the reconstruction of the customs
system. Since the beginning of this year, cigarette smugglers have been
avoiding the excise tax amounting to 100 percent of the merchandise value.
Evasion by tobacco smugglers is costing the state budget about $300 million
a year. Cigarettes arrive in Albania through the border checkpoint of
Kakavija or are smuggled from the Greek port of Patras to the Albanian port
of Velipoja.
[12] Expected Increase in Utility Prices
TIRANA, August 26 - Utility prices may soon increase in line with a general
price hike in Albania. The Albanian Energy Corporation expects electricity
prices to increase by about 26 percent, an effort to recover from huge
losses incurred during the unrest. The operation will be closely monitored
by the World Bank, a major creditor of the Energy Corporation projects. The
long drought plaguing Albania is expected to have an averse effect on its
electricity exports this year.
[13] Albania-IMF Continue Discussions
TIRANA, Aug 25 - Albania and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are
continuing talks on an emergency support package to pave the way for a
three-year accord. The talks are concentrating on emergency measures
including a full transparency of pyramid investment schemes, Albanian
officials said. An emergency package is likely to span six to 12 months,
and is aimed at restoring some measure of economic stability. Finance
Minister Arben Malaj said at the start of talks that an agreement with the
IMF could be reached if a six-month stabilisation programme was successful.
Albania's budget deficit is expected to reach 44 billion leks ($282.1
million), or 11.6 percent of GDP this year.
[14] State Department Announces 1999 Visa Lottery
WASHINGTON, August 25 - The State Department announced that the registration
period for the next Diversity Visa Lottery (DV-99) will begin at noon on
Friday, October 24, 1997 and end at noon on Monday, November 24, 1997. To
qualify for a visa, entrants must have at least a high school education or
equivalent, or within the past five years have two years of work experience
in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience.
This material was reprinted with permission of AlbAmerica Trade and
Consulting International (ATCI). For more information on ATCI and the
Albanian Times, please write to AlbaTimes@aol.com.
Copyright © ATCI, 1998
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