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ATCI: Albanian Times, 97-08-31

The Albanian Times (by AlbAmerica Trade & Consulting International) Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: AlbAmerica Trade & Consulting International <http://www.worldweb.net/~ww1054/>

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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