Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 99-11-15

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From: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] PM Meta demands measures to be adopted to face the difficult energy situation

[02] Albanian Government examines draftlaw on budget for 2000

[03] Exchange rates

[04] Boutros-Boutros Ghali to visit Albania on Monday

[05] Draft law "On State Police", legal step in field of public order

[06] Puka (Albania) and Nimes (France) establish relations of cooperation

[07] Albanian Central Bank will work according to institutional structures of European Central Bank

[08] Boutros-Boutros Ghali arrives in Albania

[09] Economy forces 1/3 of Albanian population to emigrate

[10] Bank of Albania makes public the requests on economic increase

[11] European Community assists INSTAT

[12] President Meidani meets with Father Rodolf Boci

[13] Agreement of American Grant for Albanian state budget is assigned

[14] PM Meta to take part in BSEC Summit

[15] Farudin Hoxha appointed new director of KESH

[16] Francophone Organisation offers cooperation with Albania

[17] PM Meta asks Albania, Francophone Alliance cooperation

[18] Albanian, Turkish Health Ministries sign new cooperation agreement

[19] Francophone Organisation favours promotion of ties with Albania

[20] Meta asks maximum engagement in fighting corruption

[01] PM Meta demands measures to be adopted to face the difficult energy situation

The Minister of Privatization, Zef Preci, reported on this problem, pointing out the great difficulties created in the sector of energy. According to Preci, the serious situation is created by major causes, and is a result of the low flow of rivers at this moment, and of the bad management of KESH (Energy Distribution Corporation), which has adopted no measures at all to prevent such a situation.

PM Meta, says a report of the spokesman of the Prime Minister, demanded in the meeting that urgent measures should be taken until Nov. 15, to face the situation and to put before responsibility all those who did not prevent the situation, thus carrying the country to such a difficult situation.

He also demanded that an emergent plan be drafted on purchase of electric energy from neighboring countries and good administration of the local sources, in order to overcome the present situation. Meta also demanded from his cabinet members to work to find alternative ways for energy and to draft a national strategy that would solve the problem.

This Monday, PM Meta is expected to go to the KESH headquarters to discuss with its leaders the situation created and the measures to prevent it. /s.s./xh/

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[02] Albanian Government examines draftlaw on budget for 2000

The priorities of this draft law are the increase of the customs and taxes incomes, lowering of the internal debt as against the domestic net product and the increase of public investments. These objectives are envisaged to be attained without increasing the present tariffs of taxes and levies, but with a good fiscal management andby fighting corruption and evasion.

The basic objective of the draft budget is the consolidation of a stable macro-economic development and the use of the contributions of local and foreign taxpayers with priority on education, medical service and social protection of the population.

A special importance has also been devoted to the state draft budget for the coming year, to the preparation and implementation of the priority projects such as roads, aqueducts, schools and hospitals. It also envisages a continuation of the policy on the increase of salaries and the promotion of local government decentralization, creating new spaces regarding the use of the state funds. /s.s./xh/

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[03] Exchange rates

Exchange rates

Currency bought sold USD 134 134,5 DM 71,5 72 LIT (1000) 72 72,5 GRD (100) 42 42,5 /gs/

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[04] Boutros-Boutros Ghali to visit Albania on Monday

Ghali, after his arrival at noon, will meet personalities of Albanian state, the President Rexhep Meidani, the Premier Ilir Meta and the Foreign Minister Paskal Milo.

On Tuesday the Secretary General of Francophony will participate in the Conference "Albania member of the francophone family" and will meet the head of the Albanian parliament Skender Gjinushi. He is also to hold a meeting with National Committee of Francophony and members of French Alliance.

The last day of his visit in Albania Mr. Boutros Ghali plans to visit the Faculty of Foreign Languages and the French Alliance. /led/gs/

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[05] Draft law "On State Police", legal step in field of public order

The draft law reflects the changes in the status of police, bringing to the fore its political and technical level. In addition, the draft law aims at democratization of police also in relations with the public.

According to the draft law, the separation of the police forces from the Armed Forces aims at a fast determining of the status of police in the context of the public administration. The demographic, social and economic changes of the country seek a structural and functional reorganization of police and its defence by law.

The draft law on police is drafted by Albanian specialists in cooperation with representatives of MAPE and INTERFORCE missions. For the drafting of this law, the specialists have taken into account the legislation on police in western countries. /xh/

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[06] Puka (Albania) and Nimes (France) establish relations of cooperation

The agreement was signed in Puka by the Mayor of this town Halit Furriku and the deputy mayor of Nimes, Jean Argenei.

According to the agreement, the city-hall of Nimes will bring soon to Puka hospital an amount of aid with medicaments and medical equipment. In addition, a group of French groups will go to Puka to make medical checkups and the villages in that district.

In the context of this cooperation, a group of members of the municipal council of Puka, will go to Nimes, in which they will discuss cooperation in the sector of forests and mines. /led/xh/

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[07] Albanian Central Bank will work according to institutional structures of European Central Bank

The objective of the Bank of Albania is to reach a norm of inflation of 3 per cent in 2000, 2 per cent in 2001 and to maintain these levels also in the coming years, said Cani in a news conference o Monday.

The short-term strategy of the Bank for the coming 2-3 years, which is expected to be discussed on Wednesday by the Monitoring Council, focuses on the increase of the autonomy, transparency, while the general objective is the modernisation and restructuring of the bank.

Governor Cani was critical for the low level of crediting in Albania. According to him, although the level of the credit stock adopted for 1999 is 8 billion lek, only 2 billion lek are presumed to be realised. In the mean time, for 2000 the forecast for the increase of the credit stock is 7.5 billion lek. The Governor Cani demanded more haste for the privatization of the banks and liberalisation of the economy.

Over the past two years, the policy of the Bank of Albania has been the continuous reduction of the interest rate, taking care that the real norms remain positive. /led/xh/

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[08] Boutros-Boutros Ghali arrives in Albania

Over his stay in Albania, Mr Ghali will have a number of meetings with senior Albanian state officials and will take part in the Conference "Albania, member of the Frankophone family."

Mr Ghali arrived in Rinas Airport together with the Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo who returned from a several day visit to Switzerland.

Mr Ghali was elected to the post of the Secretary General of Frankophonia in 1997, while over 1992-1996 he held the post of the U.N. Secretary General. /led/xh/

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[09] Economy forces 1/3 of Albanian population to emigrate

The testing points out that 70% of this figure emigrated with their families, with their average age being around 40.

After Italy and Greece, the first countries Albanians took to in 1991- 1992, the current preferred countries for the emigrating Albanians are Germany, France, USA and lately Canada, Australia and RSA.

About 73% of Albanians employed in Greece do not exercise their profession, the same source says, whereas in Italy, USA, France, Canada this figure is reduced to 50%. 38% of Albanian intellectuals in Germany are not employed in conformity with their respective education. /led/gs/

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[10] Bank of Albania makes public the requests on economic increase

Central of Albania asked for the increase of General Domestic Production to 8%.This request is in conformity with the predictions of the Ministry of Finances and International Monetary Fund for year 2000 and it is included in the project law on state budget.

It asked for increasing of the investments to 50% in comparison with the predictions of year 1999 and falling of the custom tariffs by 3- 4%.

The Governor of Bank of Albania Shkelqim Cani asked for staff reduction of the budgetary institutions with 10 000 people and cutting of the expenditures in defense not less than 30%.

Another request of Bank of Albania is the strengthening of the independence of local and central budget.

"The privatization steps should be very quick ones and we asked the privatization incomes to mark not less than 5 billion leks in the state budget for year 2000", said Mr.Cani, who asked for INSTAT involvement in privatization process beside the banks.

Bank of Albania asked for increasing of the transparency between the government and institutions toward the public.

The other request of Bank of Albania is the further liberalization of the economy, by drafting a concrete program on this matter. /dast/linda/

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[11] European Community assists INSTAT

INSTAT Director Milva Ikonomi described the work performed this year by this Institute concerning the general registration of economic units in Albania. She said that the publishing of a periodical bulletin in the beginning of 2000 containing the recent data on the development of economic sectors was made possible through EU support.

EU representatives confirmed starting of the training for Albanian specialists of INSTAT and expressed their support for its development as the only state institution of statistics in Albania, in conformity with contemporary standards. /lh/linda/

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[12] President Meidani meets with Father Rodolf Boci

The two discussed the steps to be taken to carry out this initiative on legal, logistic, organizational and financial plans as well as to open affiliates of Napoli University in Albania.

Meidani asked the implementation of these initiatives according to the successful examples set by other countries as well as the introduction of private elementary and secondary education to Albania for a qualitative higher education, through increasing competition. /dast/A.A/lm/

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[13] Agreement of American Grant for Albanian state budget is assigned

This grant will be used for the budget of those ministries that faced the situation created due to Kosova refugees influx, Spring 1999.

United States will support a program of World Bank to monitor the usage of this grant.

The representatives of American Government estimated the role played by Albanian Government during the period of Kosova crisis.

USAID Director Mr.Sumka stressed that beside this grant, USA will accord for Albania this year another sum of 39 million dollars, 18 million of this sum will be used for the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure in Albania and the rest on USAID assistance programs in Albania.

Albanian Prime Minister Meta said that "the assignment of this agreement shows the engagement of USA Government to support Albania, which is going to find in Albanian Government a serious partner, and ready for cooperation". /dast/linda/

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[14] PM Meta to take part in BSEC Summit

Meta is expected to greet the summit and will present the options of his government on the role of this initiative in the framework of the Stability Pact.

The delegation will also include Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo. /dast/so/lm/

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[15] Farudin Hoxha appointed new director of KESH

Prof.Dr.Farudin Hoxha, on proposal of Albanian Premier Ilir Meta, was elected Director General of the Power Generation and Distribution Firm (KESH) on Monday.

"Special priority is being given to electricity as its consumption has increased at a time when the country has had no new electric power source for over 15 years", said Meta in his visit to KESH.

"The alarm on the difficult electric power situation should have been signaled two months and not three days ago," said Meta.

"At the government meeting we discussed several measures to be taken to improve the electricity situation, import of electric power and other measures," the premier added.

"We are working for a clear strategy and for new electric power sources," he said.

Farudin Hoxha is one of the most renowned engineers of the country, participant in drafting and implementing projects of hydro-power station on the Drin river cascade, and for a period of time Minister of Energy.

His appointment at the head of the energy giant now with the winter approaching aims at improving the very critical energy situation the country is undergoing. /lm/

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[16] Francophone Organisation offers cooperation with Albania

Following his meeting with Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo, Ghali told reporters that they had discussed expansion of cooperation in various fields, including diplomacy, economy, youth, culture and technique.

Milo expressed his commitment to take an active part in the Francophone family, in which Albania was admitted associate member in September.

"We will discuss with Ghali a number of cooperation projects, expected to be implemented in Albania not to spread the Francophone culture but also in the context of the Francophone Organisation's contribution to the development of Albania in various directions," said Milo. /lh/so/lm/

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[17] PM Meta asks Albania, Francophone Alliance cooperation

She said Meta asked that the relations between the Francophone alliance and Albania be further promoted.

Ghali expressed support for the Albanian government and offered a number of projects regarding education, youth, education well as other interventions in the system of industry and energy.

Ghali visited Albania in the context of Albania's membership of the Francophone Organisation, which is thought to be realised during the next Summit of this organisation. /lh/lm/

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[18] Albanian, Turkish Health Ministries sign new cooperation agreement

This agreement was reached after the formal talks held between the Head of the Albanian Health, Leonard Solis and his Turkish Counterpart Osman Durmush, during his recent visit in Albania.

The agreement assesses that the number of the patients to be cured during one year in Turkish state hospitals increases from 50 to 100. It also provides the appointment of a health care attache, who speaks Turkish, to the Albanian Consulate in Istanbul, who will take care of the different problems the patients may have while being cured in Turkey.

The agreement also includes the building of two dialyses' centers in Shkodra and Elbasani, each with 4 apparatuses to be provided by the Turkish Ministry of Health, while the 10 doctors who will work in these centers will be trained in Turkey. /lh/so/

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[19] Francophone Organisation favours promotion of ties with Albania

"We want that the relations between our organisation and your country become a powerful reality," said Ghali.

Further on, Ghali familiarised Meidani with the initiatives of the organisation to encourage dialogue among various civilisations, cultures, religions in promoting the culture of peace and cooperation among peoples.

Meidani expressed Albania's readiness to increase cooperation in various sectors of education, culture and civil society with the community of nations that have the French language and culture in common.

He appreciated the role of the organisation in encouraging cultural diversity, minimizing the risks of homogenisation at present and in the future. /dast/lm/

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[20] Meta asks maximum engagement in fighting corruption

The inter-ministerial group met on the basis of the conclusions stemming from September 25th meeting between the Albanian government and the Friends of Albania which also decided the reexamination of the anti- corruption plan, the spokesman reports.

Meta asked from all the parties participating in the commission, respectively from the Prosecutor's Office, NIS and High State Control, to bring in concrete names of incriminated persons, either from the ranks of police, justice or the executive.

"We can no more allow the incrimination of the state," said Meta adding: "loss of people's trust in institutions would mean failure of institutions, anarchy and the image of the state cannot be spoiled because of several irresponsible individuals."

Meta asked from the participants cooperation and concrete results, as these will be the only measuring criterion of their performance. /dast/lm/

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