Production costs are high. Here are the proposals for an increase World Bank: “A necessary decision” ANDREA STEFANI TIRANA — The approaching onset of winter seems set to witness a higher price for electricity. Specialists from the World Bank and the Albanian Electricity Corporation have proposed raising electricity prices starting this winter season. According to a study conducted by the World Bank, most energy in Albania has been sold at prices lower than its production costs. The greatest losses concern energy used by households. Coal, fuel and electricity have been sold to them at one tenth of their economic cost. While the first consumption tier of 250 kilowatts is supplied to households at 0.5 lekë, the production cost of one kilowatt is 5 lekë. Expenditure on energy in Albania — according to this study — amounts to around 3.5 percent of household income, whereas in European countries it accounts for twice that percentage and reaches as much as 24 percent in developing countries. World Bank specialists believe that the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy will require the gradual increase of energy prices until they cover costs. For the winter period of 1993–94, they propose reducing the monthly allowance of 250 kilowatts purchased by households at 0.5 lekë to 100 kilowatts per month. For consumption above this allowance, consumers would pay 3 lekë per kilowatt-hour. The Albanian Electricity Corporation has also called for an increase in the price of electricity from 0.5 to 0.8 lekë. The main reason, apparently, is the need to survive under market-economy conditions. This was also one of the demands made by the corporation’s workers, who were involved several months ago in a strike that the Court ruled illegal. “With the current electricity sales prices,” the corporation’s intermediary told Gazeta, “we are heading towards a drastic reduction in profits.” The corporation disagrees with the pricing policy applied so far to energy sources. The price of electricity has increased only 1.6 times, whereas the price of firewood has risen 8.5 times, that of fuel oil 4 times, and that of coal 3.3 times. This has led households to turn to electricity not only for lighting and cooking, but also for heating. “Such a trend,” KESH specialists told Gazeta, “is fraught with great risks.” Experience from several previous winters shows that the cable network distributing electricity to households cannot withstand the loads required to heat homes. This also applies to the Tirana network, around 20 percent of which has been rebuilt by ENEL. Moreover, an increase in electricity prices without a review of the prices of other energy sources could quite conceivably lead to a spread in electricity theft by consumers. Of the 2.2 billion kilowatt-hours sold by KESH each year, 400–500 million kilowatts are stolen. What should be done? The problem confronts the Government like a riddle. The decision is up to it.

Suspicions over $20,000 withdrawn from the Bank Connection to the Nano case? Dokle: “It’s an old story” TIRANA — After the arrest of Fatos Nano, an accusation has also been made against the Socialist Party. In fact, it concerns its financial activity. The Tirana Prosecutor’s Office invited the Albanian Parliament to set up a commission to investigate the PS’s financial activity. The new accusation: “20,000 dollars were withdrawn from its fund for use in Peshkopi, but their fate is unknown.” The law on the financing of political parties obliges them to disclose the precise purpose for which their funds are used. A parliamentary commission, expected to be set up soon, has now been asked to investigate the mystery surrounding the socialists’ financial activity. But someone has opposed this proposal. Democratic Party MPs Abdi Baleta and Zef Brozi expressed the view “that investigations fall within the competence of the Prosecutor’s Office and it does not need to ask permission.” According to a letter sent to Parliament by the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, which sets out the new serious suspicions, a possible connection with the Nano case was also alleged. But the socialists reacted: “The PS’s activity has no reason to be mixed up with the ‘Nano case’,” Namik Dokle, head of the Socialist parliamentary group, told Gazeta after the session ended. “The 20,000 dollars have nothing whatsoever to do with our Chairman.” Dokle once again expressed support—as he had in Parliament—for setting up this parliamentary commission of inquiry, but not only to investigate the PS: it should cover all the other political parties as well. In any case, the Prosecutor’s Office’s letter makes accusations only concerning the PS’s financial activity. “I know nothing about this specific case,” Dokle said. “The party administration handles this money, not its chairman. But I am convinced these dollars have not disappeared.” “Someone at the Bank may have told this story,” Dokle explained again. “Perhaps when this fund was withdrawn, its intended purpose was also stated.” According to Dokle, no one at the Bank has the right to ask how funds allocated to parties by law will be used. An investigation of this kind had been announced months ago by the State Audit Commission.

TIRANA — Another false alarm at the Bank of Albania. The day before yesterday evening, at 8 p.m., police officers from Tirana’s Precinct 3 surrounded the building after receiving a report that the electronic signals installed inside had disappeared. This time, it took only 30 minutes to establish that the alarm had not been triggered by a burglar. This is the second time in the past two months that the anti-theft alarm has been triggered at the Bank of Albania. But the day before yesterday, as on the first occasion, no trace or suspicion of unknown persons was found in the Bank’s secured premises.

The charge: illegal border crossing Montenegrins from the ship «Nikos K.» sentenced TIRANA — (Ed. La.) The seven citizens from the former Yugoslavia who were apprehended five months ago aboard the ghost ship “Nikos K.” have been sentenced. The Tirana Court imposed a five-month prison sentence on Dejan Xhorxheviç, Zorran Teodoro-viç, Petar Matejeviç, Relfik Hoxhiç, Zlatko Matejeviç and Xhevat Bubiq. They were all from Kotor, Montenegro. The charge proved against them was “illegal crossing, in collaboration, of the state border of the Republic of Albania.” According to the investigation materials, the illegal border crossing had been carried out in connection with fishing and the breaking of the embargo, because only a Yugoslav crew could manoeuvre in order to evade the armed forces still enforcing the embargo. The five citizens from Montenegro had been helped to cross the border on 26 March this year by Xhevat Bubiq, who had also undertaken to take them aboard the Greek ship “Nikos K.” as far as the Port of Durrës. The ship, carrying 860,000 litres of benzine, was detained and seized by the Albanian authorities a few days later. During the court hearing, confirmation from the competent authorities in Slovenia was also made known; they categorically denied having purchased fuel from the Greek ship with a Montenegrin crew.

Financing of 218 billion lire TIRANA — (p. re.) Construction companies will soon be assigned the works financed by the Italian Cooperation, which has allocated more than 218 billion lire to Albania for 1992–1994. These are grants intended mainly for restructuring the electricity grid and the water network, for some works at the port of Durrës, and for the agricultural and healthcare sectors. During October, according to what architect Piergiorgio Ramundo, head of the Cooperation Office in Albania, told the newspaper, the procedures for awarding the works to the Italian companies that participated in the numerous tenders will be completed. In short, the first results of this funding will begin to be seen within the year. But let us examine this Cooperation project in more detail. A grant of 31.5 billion lire has been allocated to improving agricultural and livestock production, building silos at the port of Durrës, and carrying out the first repairs to Tirana’s electricity grid. A further 25 billion lire has been allocated for a second phase of repairs to the capital’s electricity grid. Meanwhile, 20 billion lire, as a grant, will be used for food aid (a very small portion of it) and for the purchase of medicines and medical supplies (18 billion).

DEBATE / New rules for information The open discussion in Gazeta Shqiptare continues on the need to establish new rules for Albanian journalism and on the necessity of passing a press law (to restore professionalism and credibility to the entire journalistic profession). This time, Bashkim Trenova, Editor-in-Chief of “Rilindja Demokratike,” joins the discussion. This space will remain open to every journalist who has taken part in the exchange of ideas on this delicate but fundamental issue: calling on every authority to be responsible and every author to be accountable for their own opinions, while affirming that these must not interfere with or violate morality. BASHKIM TRENOVA Democracy belongs to all of us, for better and for worse. Democracy grants freedom; democracy respects your freedom. Thus, a free and democratic press cannot be conceived outside a legal framework that would establish its rights and powers, but at the same time its responsibilities. In this context, I believe that a press law is essential for the Albanian press as well; indeed, we are already somewhat late. In expressing these views, I have in mind the current state and content of our press. We have reached a point where it seems we are becoming accustomed to a part of our press that often disregards journalistic ethics, civic morality, and the norms and rules of genuinely democratic and cultured journalism. This part of the press is often filled with contentious articles and polemics driven not by sound reasoning, respecting arguments or facts, but by insults, personal attacks, anarchic passions and opposition to everything. Whatever comes up is attacked and denigrated, distorted and covered in mud; people, public figures, and various phenomena, past or present, are targeted. Constructive discussion is absent and, as a result, the instinct for revenge is sown or encouraged to take root in the collective conscience. I believe that such anarchic phenomena in the press must be disciplined, and a press law would do this very well. I do not think that a press law would play the role of censorship. Nor do I think that it would act as a mechanism taking responsibility for protecting Albanian thought in all its originality, every person or every social group, and the personal opinions they express in the public sphere and develop, etc. The idea is to provide and choose space for a related opinion, whether it is questioned or unproven. But freedom of expression and a free press must not be abused. Unpredictability of this kind does not mean a press without rules, or a press without morality.

TIRANA — (an.st.) Here is the current situation regarding electricity prices for household consumption and the proposals made by the World Bank and the Albanian Energy Corporation: CURRENT PRICE OF ELECTRICITY: The price for the first tier of 250 kilowatts and the additional amount, which consumers pay for at a different price, was set some time ago. Households pay 0.5 lekë per kilowatt-hour for the first tier. For the next tier, Albanian households pay 3 lekë for each kilowatt consumed. THE WORLD BANK proposes reducing the number of kilowatts in the first tier, sold to households at 0.5 lekë, from 250 to 100 kilowatts. The price for energy consumed above this amount would remain as before. PROPOSAL OF THE ALBANIAN ENERGY CORPORATION: The price of 0.5 lekë for the 250-kilowatt amount supplied to households should be raised to 0.8 lekë per kilowatt. Above this consumption amount, the price should be 3 lekë per kilowatt in the next tier.

DURRËS–IGUMENICË, A NEW FERRY SERVICE — “Rose Bay” is the new ferry on the Durrës–Igumenicë route, which will also make sea transport between Albania and Greece possible. This ferry will be the seventh of those that have so far connected Durrës with five different Italian ports, as well as with the port of Kooper in Slovenia. ONE MILLION LEKË OF STOCK GOODS AT THE BURREL AGRICULTURAL TRADING ENTERPRISE — The stock goods at the Burrel Agricultural Trading Enterprise consist mainly of spare parts for old-brand tractors and Zetor tractors, as well as expired herbicides. All of this is also a serious obstacle to privatization, even though the valuation of its buildings and assets has been completed and their sale is expected to begin soon. ROAD ACCIDENT TALLY IN SARANDË — The road-accident record in the Sarandë district for the period from January to 20 September is extremely positive: just one accident, which caused only one death. The heads of the Sarandë Road Traffic Police believe this success was achieved thanks to the better positioning of the Road Police to enforce the Traffic Code. ALBANIAN MPs COMPLETE SEMINAR IN TURKEY — Petritka Minga and Abedin Elmazi completed the seminar “Security and Regional Cooperation,” held in Turkey as part of the Rose-Roth series, organized by the North Atlantic Assembly in cooperation with the Turkish Parliament.

In Poland, the Communists win the elections Arafat is welcomed as a hero in Jordan Tonight the Italian national team plays football

Do you have a relative, a friend, or a loved one far away, across the sea? Would you like to reach them with a greeting, a message, or simply a rhyme? This space is yours to use; they will read it. If you are in Italy, you can write to this address: GAZETA SHQIPTARE, viale Sciplone n’Africa-no 284, 70100 Bari. If you live in Albania, you can write to this address: GAZETA SHQIPTARE, Rruga Ba-iram Currri 370, Tiranë. Murati from Fushë-Kruja sends greetings to Paolo Pinto, the Italian swimmer, on the occasion of his swim across Lake Ohrid, wishing him continued success in this kind of undertaking. On this occasion, I also send greetings to his wife Angela. I am glad that during their stay in Albania I accompanied my dear friends everywhere, and I hope that they, like me, were pleased. Murati di Fushë-Kruja saluta Paolo Pinto, il nuotatore Italiano nell’occasione della sua attraversata a nuoto del lago di Ohrid, augurandogli sempre successi di questo genere. Approfitto di salutare anche sua moglie Angela. Io durante il loro soggiorno in Albania ho accompagnato ovunque i miei amici amati e auguro che loro come me sono stati contenti. Murat Aruç — Fushë-Krujë Through this newspaper we send our condolences to Mr. Valter on the untimely loss of his beloved Anna Longoni. We share his grief and feel the loss of our dear Anna as if it were our own. To us, it is unbelievable that Anna’s heart no longer beats. In spirit and in heart, we are close to you, Mr. Valter. With sorrow. Tramite questo giornale mandiamo le nostre condoglianze al signor Walter per la perdita prematura della sua moglie adorata, signora Anna Longoni. Partecipiamo al suo dolore e soffriamo insieme con lui della tragica scomparsa. Per noi è incredibile che quel cuore non batte più. Con anima e cuore ci troviamo vicino a voi. Con molto dolore. Selim Lila, Rukie and Ali Dervishi, Pranvera Lila On the occasion of my son Sefer’s birthday in Bari, Italy, and as I am unable to be by his side on this special day, his mother Maria wishes him celebrations throughout his life that he will always spend joyfully, with friends and in good health. With longing. Maria — Durrës Enkelejda wishes Altina Kraja a safe journey on the occasion of her departure for Italy, a trip that will culminate in her marriage to Angelo. She wishes the couple in love, Altina and Angelo, a happy life, joy, and good fortune. Enkelejda augura buon viaggio ad Altina Kraja per la sua partenza in Italia, viaggio che viene coronato con le sue nozze con Angelo. Augura vita felice, gioia e fortuna alla coppia innamorata. Enkelejda — Durrës