Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 00-01-04

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Year 2000: Important investments in Albania's electricity

[02] Currency exchange-rate in Tirane

[03] Minister Preci authorizes "Albtelecom" to create joint venture with "New World Telecom"

[04] Weather forecast for Tuesday

[05] Ice makes traffic difficult on several roads of Albania

[06] "AMC": Net Profit worth 936 million Leks for year 1999

[07] Ice has made difficult traffic in some roads of Albania

[08] A 20-year man found frozen

[09] Customs compound in Kapshtica expected to be finished by 2000

[10] Weather forecasts for Wednesday, January 5

[11] Ice blocks two roads on Shkodra district

[12] Departure of Albanian emigrants increases too much the number of passengers in ferry boats

[01] Year 2000: Important investments in Albania's electricity

The Ministry of Public Economy and Privatisation, in cooperation with foreign donors, has planned the implementation of several important projects in Albania's electric power system for 2000.

According to sources from this ministry, this year, in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the hydro- power stations and the transmission network will be rehabilitated through a project worth 30 million Euro.

Some 17,5 billion lire will be financed to supply with electricity the cities of Tirane, Durres and Shkoder.

The German Bank (KfW) will invest 25 million marks to improve supply with electricity the south of Albania and 10 million marks to construct the Korce substation.

In the year 2000, new power generation sources will begin to be built such as H/C of Bushat with Chinese credit and H/C of Kalivaci by concession, and several studies are planned to be carried out by specialists on new power generation sources.

During 2000 the Power Generation and Distribution Firm (KESH) will be reconstructed and the level of losses is thought to be reduced below 40% and deposits to be increased over 85%, while during 1999, the level of losses was 41-42%.

Although several investments have been made during 1999, the situation of supplying consumers in Albania with electricity continues to be grave due to non payment of bills and stealing of electrictiy. Albania, in order to ensure a normal supply with electricity, imports around 5 million kW/hour of electric power per day. /da st/lm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Currency exchange-rate in Tirane

On the Tirane foreign currency market on Tuesday beforenoon the dollar lost ground versus the Lek as against Monday.

Foreign currency exchange rate versus the Lek

Currency Buying Selling

US$ 134,5 135

DM 70,2 70,5

ITL (1000) 70,4 70,6

GRD (100) 40,4 40,6 /dast/lm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Minister Preci authorizes "Albtelecom" to create joint venture with "New World Telecom"

"Being in favour of open, liberal and competitive economy, the company has been asked to co-found a joint venture. That is, the "New World Telecom" has been asked to give up exclusiveness and this paragraph has been modified and reviewed in the contract", Minister Preci told a news conference.

According to him, the creation of this association has nothing to do with licensing.

"We have thought that soon after the joint venture is founded, procedures start immediately with EBRD and WB to license the second operator", said Preci.

He said that the existing companies, either foreign or local, even this company likely to be registered currently, will have the right to compete based on the criteria of the market economy. /dast/sm/lm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Weather forecast for Tuesday

Wind will blow lightly from the North. While the lowest and highest temperatures are forecast to be: in the mountains -9 and 3 degrees Celsius, in lowlands -3 and 8 and in the coastal areas -1 and 10 degrees Celsius. /dast/lm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Ice makes traffic difficult on several roads of Albania

Sources from the road traffic police at the Public Order Ministry report that due to low temperatures, the ice on several roads to Northeast and Southeast of the country, has made difficult the movement of vehicles.

They say that the most risky roads are those linking Puke with Kukes and Korce with Kolonje. The situation created requires that vehicles be equipped with chains, the sources stress.

In the first days of this year, two vehicles have slid on these roads, but have caused no victims. /dast/lm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] "AMC": Net Profit worth 936 million Leks for year 1999

According to AMC sources, the Mobile Communication Company in Albania, the annual plan for net profit has been 536 million leks, while it is expected to be realised to the extent of 174,6%.

The incomes plan of the unique cellphones company was 1,332 million Leks, while for 1999 about 1,648 million Leks or nearly 123% of the plan was realised.

During 1999 deposits into "AMC" planned budgets were 520 million Leks.

During 1999 AMC investments have been mainly concentrated on extention of the central capacities and radio system.

Soon after investments the extention of central from 8 thousand up to 20 thousand phone numbers was enabled and service's quality was improved through the increase of radiostations.

In the first half of 2000, "AMC" privatisation is forcast to be completed.

The base estimating criteria in the sale process of Albanian Mobile Comunication Company (AMC) is to be the offered price.

During the year 2000 the licensing of the second cell phone operator will be carried out as well. /dast/sm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Ice has made difficult traffic in some roads of Albania

Sources from traffic police in the Public Order Ministry told ATA that as a result of the low temperatures, the wide layers of ice in some main roads in southeast and northwest of the country have made difficult the movement of vehicles.

According to them, the roads with more risk are those linking Puka with Kukes and Korca with Kolonja. The situation demands the use of chains by vehicles, police sources said.

During the first days of this year, two vehicles have slided on those roads, but causing no victims. /dast/xh/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] A 20-year man found frozen

Andon Izet Canollari from village Kovacaj was found frozen at about 1 p.m. on Monday in the place called "Gryka e Dervise", some kilometers from his village, official sources from the Public Order Ministry said to ATA on Tuesday.

According to them, Canollari, soldier in one of the military units of the capital, was walking at night when he fell into an abyss, one kilometer from the main road.

This is the first case of someone dying of the low temperatures prevailing in Albania for several days. /dast/xh/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] Customs compound in Kapshtica expected to be finished by 2000

Roland Cane, chairman of the branch of this customs house, told ATA that for this construction the PHARE program has funded 1.5 million Euros, while the Albanian Government has contributed 0.3 million Euros.

According to him, the project envisages the rehabilitation of the customs building, the construction of the highway with four lines, a complex of storehouses for the processing of commodities and a parking.

The work for the construction and modernization of this customs house has started in March last year and they are expected to be completed in June this year.

The construction firm Albvia has so far made more than 50 per cent of the work. Another fund is expected to be delivered to furnish the customs house with the necessary equipment and computers. /dast/xh/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] Weather forecasts for Wednesday, January 5

The weather will be sunny and with a few clouds.

The wind will blow slightly northwards.

The lowest and highest temperatures are envisaged to be in mountain zones -9 and 2 grade Celsius, in lowland areas -4 and 8 and in coastal areas -2 and 10 grade Celsius. /lh/xh/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] Ice blocks two roads on Shkodra district

According to these sources, the roads leading to the communes of Shosh, Shale and Shllak continue to be blocked. "The only road functioning in this zone is that of Koman, for which efforts are being made to have it free all the time," said the sources.

The department for rural road maintenance has not yet started the work to unblock these roads because of the celebrations of the last year. On Wednesday, considerable amounts of scoria will be transported to avoid the negative effect of the ice in the movement of vehicles, the spokesman of the prefecture said.

It is the first day after two years that ice has blocked the rural roads in the zone of Dukagjin. /lh/xh/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Departure of Albanian emigrants increases too much the number of passengers in ferry boats

The respective navigation agencies are working now at full capacity. Only on Tuesday, the ferry boats NIOBE, JUPITER, ARTEMISA and SKENDERBEU carried on their boards over 500 Albanian emigrants, while two days ago this number amounted to 700.

The chief of the port headquarters in Vlore, Dionis Andoni, said that the flux of the people leaving towards Italy is expected to increase this week. The high number of the emigrants has increased the volume of work for the police and commando forces, who have adopted the necessary measures not to allow abnormalities in the port.

Taking into account the great number of emigrants who returned to Albania to join their families for Christmas and New Year celebrations, the port of Vlore has been working these days at a capacity 30 per cent greater than in other periods of the year. /lh/xh/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article