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Albanian Times, April 16, 1996
From: Albanian Times <AlbaTimes@aol.com>
CONTENTS
[1] Albania's Economic Growth Highest, Experts Say
[2] Fountain Oil Reports Revenue
[3] Italian Company to Build Power Plant on Vjosa River
[4] E-U Approves Food Shipments to Albania
[5] Scanty State Funds For Irrigation
[6] Filigree Firm Selling Abroad
[1] Albania's Economic Growth Highest, Experts Say
GENEVA, April 15 - Albania is leading Eastern European nations with
economic growth hitting a peak of 13,4 per cent, a UN annual economic
report said. On the average, economic growth in Eastern Europe has risen to
6 per cent, the report said. According to UN analysts, Eastern and central
European countries that are emerging strongly from the recession sparked by
the collapse of communism could be headingd for further growth this year
The analysts' assessment came in the annual report on European and North
American economies issued by the Geneva- based Economic Commission for
Europe (ECE). "Eastern Europe now stands out as an area of rapid growth,''
said the report, Economic Survey of Europe 1995-96. However, differences
were growing between a core group of economies -- the Czech Republic,
Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia as well as Romania and Albania --
and most of the states of former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. In a note of
caution, the ECE analysts said that although overall eastern Europe
continued to work its way out of recession, full recovery ``is still some
years ahead.'' Output in all countries of the area -- the ex-Soviet bloc
states, the former Yugoslavia and Albania -- was still an average of 15 per
cent below the levels before communist rule dissolved at the end of 1989
and they began the transition to market economics, the Survey said. And it
said it would ``still be premature to be overly optimistic about the
economic prospects of these countries'' because it remained to be seen if
the high rate of growth of some of them could be sustained. Worst recorded
performances came from Bulgaria and Macedonia, with two per cent, and from
Croatia which declined by 1.5 per cent. Western Europe absorbs 50 to 60
percent of the exports from the Central and Eastern European states.
(Albanian Times, ANSA, Reuters)
[2] Fountain Oil Reports Revenue
HOUSTON, April 15 - Fountain Oil Incorporated, a company seeking joint
venture in Albania, reported that its revenue for the quarter ended
February 29, 1996 amounted to $44,085, compared to $442,364 for the
comparable period last year. The net loss for the quarter was $1,644,260
($0.15 per share), compared with a loss of $1,497,747 ($0.23 per share) for
the quarter ended February 28, 1995. During the second quarter of fiscal
1996, Fountain's investment in and advances to various oil and gas ventures
in Eastern Europe increased by $613,505 to $3,504,392. A production license
for the Gorisht-Kocul Field was executed last week by the Albanian Minister
of Mines and Energy and has now been forwarded to Albpetrol, the Albanian
national oil company, for signature. Albpetrol is to be the Company's joint
venture partner in the development of the Gorisht-Kocul Field. The joint
venture agreement and license will then be submitted to the Council of
Ministers of Albania for approval. (Albanian Times)
[3] Italian Company to Build Power Plant on Vjosa River
Details concerning funding and equipment for building a new power plant in
southern Albania have been concluded between the Rome based Italian
business group Becchetti and the Albanian Energy Corporation, KESH. The
hydro power plant is to be built at Kalivac on Vjosa River and will have an
annual output estimated at 350 million kW/hrs. (Albanian Times)
[4] E-U Approves Food Shipments to Albania
PARIS, April 12 - The European Union has approved 3,000 tons of French soft
wheat to Albania. The shipments to Albania and other countries were
approved by the cereals management committee and are for loading in April.
(Albanian Times, Reuters)
[5] Scanty State Funds For Irrigation
TIRANA, April 16 - Albanian government has allocated an estimated 13
million leks (about $130,000 to rehabilitate the nation's irrigation system
ahead of the water needy season. The scanty investment will be used to
clean irrigation canals and replace cement slabs, which in many villages
have been reported stolen by house builders. (Albanian Times)
[6] Filigree Firm Selling Abroad
TIRANA, April 15 - A Shkodra filigree firm is trying with some success to
establish businees contacts in Italy, Great Britain and Greece. The private
company is employing 80 workers from 30 in September 1993 when it was
created. It now sells about 400 silverware designs and has borrowed no
capitals from banks. (Albanian Times, ATA)
The material was reprinted with permission of AlbAmerica Trade & Consulting
International. For more information on ATCI and the Albanian Times, please
write to AlbaTimes@aol.com
Copyright (c) ATCI, 1996
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