BRITJORIA KONV?ARE TIRANE In focus: Budget-2000 BRITJORIA KONV?ARE TIRANE In focus: Budget-2000 Balanced indicators or phantom figures? By Mitro Çela

In focus: Budget-2000 The State Budget for the year 2000 was presented and discussed in Parliament. Anti-government ministers spoke. The chancellors Bujar T?es?i and Molik? [?] were balancing it. Budget revenues were to increase by 13,130 million lekë. The country’s reduction of 350 million lekë would raise the government’s domestic debt by 10 million lekë. The economy’s indicators at the middle level had a value of 3.1 percent. Albanians were saving and accumulating income from emigration at a level of 4 billion dollars. Albania and the world were moving forward well, according to the government. The finance minister’s speech also captured the classic themes of the previous period: for the first time, economic growth, control of inflation, monetary and fiscal stability. Fantastic numbers. But where are they and how are they measured? This question remains unanswered. And the final divorce of the Democratic Party from Nano’s government? If it existed, it would have been the main news of this parliamentary session. Instead, the 2000 Budget and the arrest of the deputy chief of the Kosovo army, General Agim Ceku. Why? Why? That is all that can be said about the left-wing government? Perhaps it is more convenient for it for the disagreement to turn into a technical debate rather than a political conflict. In the same way, the parliamentary opposition is behaving today. It did not confront in order to put two alternatives face to face. The events of these months have pushed it toward a campaign of denunciation and accusations. For a state budget to be defeated, a more coordinated opposition would have been needed. This time, that seems to be missing. Now there is talk of figures that may have inflated the revenue lines and underestimated expenditures. The criticism is harsh, but not always accompanied by argument. Nevertheless, the question remains: are these balanced indicators or simply phantom figures?

AMSTEL BEER Deka GROUP

Geku: Macroeconomic stability, the brink of catastrophe P. 9

Arbnori: De facto the death penalty exists P. 3

The media takes [?] money for the Albanian army P. 5

"Deloitte" has made the capital shine! "Santa Barbara" The struggle inside the PS returns "Deloitte" has made capital shine! Myftet the captain of "Santa Barbara" P. 5 P. 6 P. 7

Visit: www.albanianonline.net

Tirana is presented with 138,874 inhabitants P. 11