24 items will be compensated AGREEMENT / The document is signed between the Government and BSP What is indexed 1. Bread 2. Flour 3. Pasta 4. Rice 5. Beans 6. Oil 7. Butter 8. Meat 9. Milk 10. Cheese 11. Eggs 12. Potatoes 13. Vegetables 14. Fruit 15. Shoes 16. Socks 17. Undershirt 18. Underwear 19. Electric power 20. Water 21. Heating 22. Kerosene 23. Soap 24. Transport ANDREA STEFANI TIRANË — A newly signed agreement between the Government and the Union of Independent Trade Unions (BSP) aims to give new substance to the bilateral, sectoral "dialogue" between wages on one side and rising prices or inflation on the other. Starting in January 1995, for the first time in Albania, inflation indexing will begin for 24 items believed to account for 90-95 percent of Albanian households’ consumption, especially those with low incomes. Under the signed agreement, the Government and the union leaders — the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania has also been invited to join the agreement — will sit down every six months to adjust wages, pensions and compensation for the persecuted in line with the increase in prices of the 24 items included in the list. The first step in Albania’s economic reform is linked to prices and wages. Even earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Fino[?] made it necessary to raise wages in the budget sector. And it was precisely at that moment that the spontaneous birth of that "dialogue" or that frightening price-wage spiral took place. The market-driven rise in prices in turn pushes prices even higher. Periodic wage increases, the preservation — rather than the loss — of compensation for some basic items with fixed prices, the granting of compensation for certain items, or the reduction of prices through income tax for people earning under 4,000 lek all somewhat softened the consequences of rampant inflation — compared with 1990, in December 1993 the Consumer Price Index reached 899.4 percent — but nevertheless it has not been able to fully protect the real incomes of a broad layer of workers. Their cost of living has become very much more expensive, to levels that can no longer be ignored. The newly signed Government-Union agreement, based also on the successes of moderate transformation, aims above all to protect the real incomes of workers in sectors financed from the state budget. Now, starting with an increase in pensions by one tor, wages and pensions will follow step by step the rise in prices of the 24 most essential items of daily consumption, thereby penalizing or greatly slowing the "relieving" decline in living standards for these categories of workers as well as for pensioners. Without excluding, in an economic reform, price freedom, market-economy mechanisms — namely wage indexation — will be implemented for the first time in the Albanian economy. This agreement is also of special interest to the unemployed, whose number remains quite high. It is also expected that the wage-indexing mechanism will have an effect on pensions and, moreover, on the incomes of workers in the private sector. Government Headquarters

But the challenge of the «Adriatic taxis» continues Now the public-order authorities are intervening DURRËS — All the numerous speedboats of Durrës are to be pulled ashore, most of which are suspected of transporting clandestine migrants — not only Albanians — toward the Italian coast. On Wednesday morning the police order was communicated to the owners. Until now, at least, on the stretch of coast very near the city, which the people of Durrës have become used to calling "Plazhi Zhiron," five of them had been counted, and they were already fixed in their bases in the sand. The order came only a few days after a police operation in the same place a few days earlier. On Saturday the police had intervened to disperse a group of people suspected of being clandestine migrants. "Now we will wait for the second order," one of the speedboat owners told Gazeta Shqiptare, "and it applies to everyone." Meanwhile, despite the strict measures being taken on both sides of the Adriatic, the journey of clandestine migrants does not yet seem to have declined. On Wednesday Italian authorities blocked various groups of Albanians — 81 people in all — in the Salento region, especially in the area of Otranto. In one of these groups — 15 people, including women and children — the Italians discovered the ferry "Sondor 2," which sails on the Vlorë-Otranto line. Caught without documents, some of them jumped into the sea but were picked up by a military patrol boat. Another 66 were detained at various points, most of them near the Lecce railway station. All were forced to take the road back to their homeland. (p.r.) Sarandë, 1,200 hunting guns collected Unlicensed double-barrel shotguns surrendered SARANDË — The call made two weeks ago in Sarandë by the Minister of Public Order, Agron Musaraj, for the surrender of hunting weapons kept without a license appears to have had an immediate effect. The first reports given yesterday to Gazeta Shqiptare by the police stations of Sarandë and Delvina speak of an approximate number of 1,200 double-barrel shotguns voluntarily surrendered. Meanwhile, day by day, the number is increasing. Also engaged in this process now are the heads of villages and various communes in this area. In many of them lists of the owners of the shotguns have been drawn up, as well as a schedule for their surrender. What has made an impression is that in most cases the shotguns have played a leading role in some crimes: such is also the case of the horrific murder of a man by his wife in Shalës, Sarandë, or the death of a person as a result of carelessness. Concern had also been raised about hunting during the closed season. Even on this matter the General Directorate of Forests had previously spoken out — when hunting was still banned. There are several people who have been caught hunting animals with unlicensed weapons, representatives of that Directorate told Gazeta Shqiptare. R.a. Ko.

After the appeal TIRANË — The painful story of the couple from Vlora who wanted to sell the unborn baby they were expecting has also reached the National Adoptions Committee. Here one can feel that the officials are torn between their own human side and their very specific duty. In the Committee’s office, the chairwoman herself, Dr. Hifete Mara, tells Gazeta Shqiptare how the solution to such sensitive problems is understood here. "As a mother, as a citizen, and as a doctor, I fully stand in solidarity with those citizens who have expressed a wish to help the couple from Vlora. From what I have read, their situation is truly difficult and help could really save that family. But in my duty as a member of this committee I must stress, in order to avoid any misunderstanding, that the sale of children is strictly forbidden by law — and in this case severe sanctions are предусмотрed. In Albania no parent has the right to sell his or her child in order to gain materially. The laws are very clear about this. The only help that can be given in this specific case is individual help from various persons." "In which law are these procedures specifically mentioned?" "It is the law approved in December 1992, 'On the adoption of minors by a foreign state.' This is exactly where the entire procedure that must be followed in adoption cases is explained. Requests are verified and approved only by our Committee. Only then can people address the court." "What if an adoption is attempted through illegal channels?" "Even in that case there is no chance for the unborn child to be adopted in this way. No international instance will recognize the adoption without our official decision. We are in constant contact with all international bodies dealing with this issue." "But it may happen that one of the prospective parents presents himself as completely in order in legal terms." "Perhaps, and that is difficult to check. In the cases we have had, where there were doubts, we have rejected the requests. That is one of the duties assigned to us by law, and on this point we are very demanding. Of course, public opinion should also help us here. If the latter is sensitive to such cases, then our work would also become easier." Fatos Baxhaku

Visa for Greek citizens Now Greek citizens who wish to enter the Republic of Albania must also be equipped with visas. Everything was legalized on Wednesday, when the amendment was sent to the Albanian parliament after President Berisha had requested the return of the June '90 Decree "On allowing passports for travel abroad and issuing visas." Many deputies justified the new practice as a matter of reciprocity, since Albanians traveling to Greece will still need to go through this visa procedure, as was also decided for Greek citizens. On the train, millions of Albanians There were 28 million Albanian passengers who used rail services during the January-August '94 period. The figure presented by the General Directorate of Railways based in Durrës shows an increased interest among Albanians in this type of transport, after the boom in motor vehicles. Rail freight transport has followed almost the same path, with the analogically low figure compared over time, amounting to 4,315 tons. Drunk policemen arrested They had been drinking, were drunk without a reason, terrorized citizens, and even included the police post near Tepelenë, but were not later identified by their colleagues. These are the accusations weighing against a couple from Gjirokastra as of 25 September. The Tirana prosecutor’s office has initiated a police investigation from Gjirokastra.

There are eight defendants TIRANË — The "customs scandal" has also reached the Tirana Court. On Wednesday, the president of the Tirana Court, Agron Duro, and the lawyer for the defendants, accused of "smuggling," "forgery of official documents" and "abuse of office," were present. They held the first hearing for the defendants. According to the official findings of the investigation commission set up for this case, part of the defendants, the tax shops and the processing, and the defendants themselves were used in a manner that was unlawfully arranged into a batch process.? Among the first defendants in the "customs scandal" is the Lebanese merchant N. S., known as one of several others in the shop from among customs employees. Part of the movement worked prematurely in involvement, while by that day the Minister of Finance as well. They also expected to return the senior officials of Albanian customs Bilcolli and Hani, as well as N. D[?], Lavdovi, Shupulli, Shupili and Dhaman. Meanwhile, investigations continue for other persons, also accused of involvement in this scandal. (L)

Suspicion of Italy GJIROKASTËR — Two young girls from the South are now being searched for by their desperate families. They have been missing from their families for several days. A.G., 18, from Gjirokastra, left several days ago for the coast where she was to spend her vacation. But instead of the girl, a package arrived at the house containing some of her clothes and a letter in which she says she has settled in Italy. The police briefly detained a woman from Gjirokastra, who has since been released, although A.G.’s family does not believe the corresponding report. In Konispol the protagonist is a 14-year-old girl. R.M. has been missing for 10 days. In her case, there is not even any concrete information about her whereabouts. Investigators are also considering this hypothesis of a clandestine departure to Italy. (Ra. Ko.)

Lezhë — Only a medical examination could have saved his life. But, unfortunately for him, death knocked with greater finality and negligence took advantage of that mistake. It had been, according to the doctors from [??], treated with care by the doctor and. There in locor. M.U., the 56-year-old unmarried man, resident of Lozha, this [??] dies in the week from [??] when the victim Mu had suffered some time later from the illness called "sulmur[?]" of tetanus. By constituting this in an invalid and intervention by doctors. An intervention that, even without the victim’s relatives Ko.[?], had been understood and should have been done earlier. (Dr. Ra.)

— The "week-end" of a 14-year-old and his mother ended badly. The 5-year-old near the railway line that passes by the village of Vris[?]. After the train accident on the Fier-Ballsh line, only the little girl Lorena Rama was able to get to the city hospital. Thus, without doubt, both. Shur, 8-year-old Rama — almost in a coma and with little hope of life — had undergone a very difficult operation on his head. And only after 48 hours did the doctors become convinced that the child was pulling through, giving the first signs of returning to life and of one fewer victim from accidents, now also on the train tracks. (En. My.)

In hospital after a long divorce Elbasan, two former spouses are struck down within the same day ELBASAN — Although separated for 13 years, they had continued, even after a long time, to share the same fate; this time, a tragic one. T.S., 47, and his former wife both ended up in hospital in serious condition after being injured the same day by mysterious persons. While the man fell into a coma and is hospitalized in the surgery unit of the Elbasan hospital, his ex-wife is in much better condition at the hospital in Tirana, where doctors had to intervene urgently. The words sent to the police have still not been clarified as to why. The strange story continued in Elbasan, and it was mainly because of its notoriety[?]. The outcome of such cases is often completely unpredictable. Precisely for this reason, the ongoing investigation into this story is running into considerable difficulties. At first it seemed that the incident involved one of the victims’ relatives. In the Elbasan hospital T.S. apparently has not yet been able to provide details about the people who attacked him. "I had been drinking in a bar," he told Gazeta Shqiptare, "I cannot say anything about the people who attacked me." Now the continuation of the report on how doctors in Tirana are treating the patient urgently brought from Elbasan is awaited anxiously. (Me. Ki.) Elbasan

Before leaving Albania DURRËS — "Thank you for the hospitality you have shown toward the values of the American warships in your Port." In this way William Ryerson, the Ambassador of the United States of America to Albania, expressed his appreciation for Durrës and its inhabitants during a courtesy visit he made to this city. The high authorities of Durrës, moved by this, expressed their gratitude for American support for Albanians and gave Ryerson — on the eve of his departure — a bust of the national hero Skënderbeu, as a sign of remembrance and respect. Ambassador Ryerson

The ferry «Estonia» sinks tragically More than 800 people swallowed by the Baltic Sea Arson attacks in Germany Two Albanians die ON PAGE 2