Here’s where the ordeal of the buckets will begin again Another summer without water Insufficient investment TIRANA — Along with summer’s high temperatures, the problem of the drinking-water shortage has returned. It seems that throughout the country, as these hot months approach, Albanians will once again have to cope this year, in addition to the heat, with the exhausting — by now customary — ordeal of filling buckets. Despite the investments made to address this problem — specialists predict that the situation will improve compared with last year — normal water supply to citizens’ homes still seems a long way off. The heat of these first days of summer has been reflected immediately in the dried-up mouths of household taps. The water’s “visits” — now increasingly rare — take place only in the early morning hours. This supply ends terribly quickly, only to start again the following morning. But even this is not available to everyone. It is not available to families — especially those living on the upper floors — who cannot enjoy even these brief moments of happiness. Their taps are practically out of use throughout the summer. “Generally, throughout the country,” Arben Zajmi, director of the Water Supply Directorate at the Ministry of Construction, explained to Gazeta Shqiptare, “the water problem is severe.” The arrival of summer does nothing but make this issue even more complicated; it affects not only cities but many villages as well. In fact, for many areas, the needs for coping with the situation have still not been precisely established, since the relevant studies are lacking. Meanwhile, existing distribution-pipeline networks in many areas have broken down, while most are worn out. As a result — in addition to the drought — losses along the way are also increasing. Thus, in Durrës alone, losses from the pipelines passing through the area of the city’s former marshland are estimated at approximately 50 liters per second. Specialists from the Ministry of Construction offer hope for an improvement — albeit a slight one — in the situation compared with a year ago. “For water-supply systems, from the state budget alone, we have invested 440 million lekë for 1994, which we allocated according to the requests submitted by the various districts,” Zajmi says. The situation is difficult, especially in the large cities such as Tirana, Shkodra, Elbasani, Fieri and Gjirokastra, but also in Përmet and Pogradec. For the most part, the funds have been used to rehabilitate worn-out or damaged networks, and less often to build new water-supply systems. Nevertheless, these sums meet current requests and needs only in part. “Large funds are needed, which we do not have available,” Zajmi explains, “so we are trying to obtain loans from abroad to build new water-supply systems in the large cities.” Armand Mero

Promise from Austria TIRANA — Hopes are growing for Albania’s museums. Following the special measures taken by the Ministry of Culture to increase security at the country’s main museums, the same ministry has announced another positive development: “The Austrian side has promised us, free of charge, a quantity of special glass and other protective equipment for our museums.” Ylljet Alikaj, Director of the Directorate of Foreign Relations at the Ministry of Culture, told Gazeta Shqiptare about the outcome of his recent meetings in Vienna with senior Austrian officials from several ministries. Alikaj was part of a state delegation headed by Minister Anagnosti. According to Alikaj, the Austrian side has also promised immediate assistance in other areas of culture, such as publishing, cinematography and music. The Austrian side has promised Albania that it will make room for it in the many international events held every year in Austria. (fa. bax.) The women of «LM» are released TIRANA — The only women among the many people arrested on charges of cigarette smuggling have escaped the cells of Tirana Prison and are now with their families. On Wednesday, the Prosecutor’s Office decided to lift immediately the arrest measure imposed almost two months ago on sisters Vilma Nushi and Majlinda Hido. Although the reasons that prompted the Prosecutor’s Office to make its latest decision have not yet been confirmed, legal specialists point out that “this measure is acceptable if, following an investigation, the person held criminally liable is found not to have been involved in the crime of which they are accused.” Initially, the two businesswoman sisters had been accused of smuggling in connection with their dealings in “LM” cigarettes. Meanwhile, nearly 20 other detainees are still being held in Tirana Prison — some for many months — all accused of smuggling, document forgery or abuse of office. (e. L.)

After the arrest of the head of the «Blini» company DEVOLL — The arrest of the president of the “Blini” company has failed to dispel the panic and indignation among Devoll’s creditor families caused by the mysterious arrest— DEVOLL — The arrest of the president of the “Blini” company has failed to dispel the panic and indignation caused among Devoll’s creditor families by the mysterious arrest. A petition addressed to the authorities has brought a warning to Tirana that tensions are rising: “Hundreds of people are ready to go on hunger strike,” the petition signed by 112 people states, among other things, “and thousands more are ready to block the Korçë-Bilisht road.” The man with two identities, Jorgo Panajoti or Bujar Pano, was arrested on May 10 at the Tushemisht border crossing after borrowing — in the name of the “Blini” company he headed — 1 billion Greek drachmas, as well as a considerable amount of U.S. dollars and German marks, from farming families in the Devoll district. Panajoti’s disappearance had alarmed the many lenders, who immediately reported him to the law-enforcement authorities and requested his extradition to Albania. A successful operation by the law-enforcement forces made it possible to fulfil this request within a month. Sources at the Pogradec Police Commissariat had confirmed to Gazeta Shqiptare a few days ago the arrest of the 37-year-old “businessman” on charges of “fraud.” But his extradition and arrest have not yet fulfilled the villagers’ main demand: the return of the stolen money. It is precisely the disappearance of this enormous sum of money — apparently the cause and essence of this scandal — collected by villagers through the exhausting and often humiliating work of emigration, that has turned Devoll into a potential center of tension. Many people who acted as intermediaries for the two-named man in collecting the loans now face explicit threats of murder, house-burning or child abduction. “The Blini company problem,” the petition warns, “is becoming day by day a problem with a tragic outcome for many people involved in the Devoll district and, in part, the Korçë district.” Afraid of losing their money, the lenders demand a swift solution and express their willingness to accept the mediation of a group of experienced experts from Tirana, as well as to see the many other people who, they say, were involved in the scandal held accountable. If these demands are not met, they warn, they will go on hunger strike and block the highway. Andrea Stefani ... Quite a few people who were well-known intermediaries under two names in the loan-collection business are today facing explicit threats of murder, arson attacks on their homes, or family robberies. “Proble- ...” Andrea Stefani

KRASTË, QUESTIONS REMAIN ABOUT THE STRIKE — A solidarity rally by the families of the miners on hunger strike, a number of them being taken for medical care, and a meeting between Prime Minister Mehsit and members of his government and the Presidency with a group of representatives of the strikers were the latest developments on Wednesday at the chrome mine in Krastë, Martanesh. Although, after the latest meeting — at which the Government considered all the demands achievable — a group of senior officials set off for Krastë. KAVAJË, A MOTHER’S TRAGIC DEATH — Fifty-year-old Bejare Beqja, a mother of six, died tragically from an electric shock while preparing to cook dinner. Immediately after this painful incident, the entire village of Beqaj in Kavajë tried to help the victim, but by then it was too late. The victim Beu had apparently just become stuck; perhaps fatigue had contributed to a moment of carelessness that caused her death. KRUJË, TERRITORIAL PLANNING COUNCIL APPROVES ADDITION FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF RINAS AIRPORT — The area for the reconstruction of Rinas Airport will be 81.71 hectares. The decision of the Krujë Territorial Planning Council endorses this study for the master plan for the complete reconstruction of the airport, approved by the Council of Ministers back in May of last year. According to the study, modernization of Rinas must proceed in two main phases: the emergency phase and the long-term development phase.

TIRANA — The powerful discharge from the sky at midday on Wednesday caused only material damage. — The powerful discharge from the sky at midday on Wednesday caused only material damage. A lightning bolt — an almost rare occurrence on the streets of the capital — “came down” right over the Tirana Investigation Department, starting a sudden fire in a nearby private warehouse. But the duty police officer in the Investigation Department building miraculously escaped unharmed; a live power cable had come to hang above his head after being severed by the loud lightning strike. Two fire-engine vehicles from MKZ also intervened to extinguish the fire in the private warehouse — where a number of refrigerators and washing machines were stored — and nevertheless managed to save a good part of the goods. (e. l.)

Fewer missions from Albania TIRANA — Atmospheric conditions and some difficulties with radio communications have hampered the flights of American spy planes — deployed in Albania — on surveillance missions over war-torn Bosnian territory. The remotely piloted Gnat 750 aircraft have so far carried out only 12 of the 30 missions planned by Pentagon experts. But the data they have processed have already reached the offices of American military experts in Washington in real time. Meanwhile, the CIA 1 has asked the U.S. Congress for permission to purchase seven more aircraft. Three of them have already been delivered to the U.S. military; the other four are still stored at the manufacturing plant of “General Atomic” in San Diego. One costs close to 800,000 dollars, while a base station, essential for transmitting data and controlling the aircraft, costs 1.2 million dollars. Surveillance flights over Bosnia by these aircraft have been launched from Albanian territory. Most recently, the CIA has announced that it prefers to establish another base in one of the countries in this region. It is very likely that one of the existing American bases in Italy will be used for this purpose. p. re.

For establishments from May to October FIER — A new tax has been introduced for Fier-based traders at the start of the hot season. From now on, all owners of establishments that use terraces will pay tax based on the area of land they use outside the walls of their premises. This was also stipulated by the latest decision of the city’s Municipal Council. It decided that the tax would be tiered: 10 lekë per square meter for establishments in the city center and 5 lekë per square meter for those on its outskirts. The new tax will be paid once a month, naturally for the six-month period from May to October. As winter approaches, when customers begin to leave the terraces, this tax will cease to apply as well. Thus, Fier-based traders will report every month to the branch of the Bank of Albania in Fier. The receipt for the payment made there will then be submitted to the city municipality’s Tax and Duties Office. Otherwise, the Municipality will respond with the specific measures permitted by law. And while terraces will be taxed in Fier, a different solution had been considered in the capital: for every chair placed outside their establishment, traders are required to pay the Municipality a monthly sum in the form of a tax. En. My.

REALITY COURSEv LAÇ — It was a personal health problem following arguments with his wife ...

The Swedish goalkeeper Eriksson is ... a jeweler

The 1994-1995 school year will have few students On page 2a Rolling Stones perform for the killing of Veriut On page 2d Corfu mobilized for the EC meeting On page 2f

Predictions on the results from London Match of the day: Ireland–Mexico on TV at 18:30 Brazil–Cameroon at 22:00 Figures and curiosities On page 3 The Swedish goalkeeper Eriksson is ... a jeweler