Supplementary pensions are born TIRANA - Specialized institutions will soon be established to serve private-sector employees, giving them the opportunity to accumulate more money for their retirement years. The parliamentary Social Affairs Committee has just approved the bill establishing Private Pension Institutes. Anyone who wants a higher pension, or wishes to retire earlier, may contribute to the funds of these institutes and later receive the desired benefits. This is a new social security scheme—in addition to compulsory insurance—which will be implemented for the first time in Albania. The bill presented sets out in detail the requirements and procedures for establishing pension institutes, their funds and internal organization, as well as the level of contributions and benefits. Pension institutes are proposed to be established by private legal entities based in Albania and registered as joint-stock companies. Their founders will deposit a guarantee of no less than 5 million lekë in an authorized bank based in Albania. A private employer with more than 100 employees will be entitled to establish such an institution. Any supplementary insurance will be voluntary and based on a personal contract. People over 18 who are permanent residents of Albania will have the right to enter into a contract with such a pension institute. The proposed minimum contribution is 100 lekë per month. These contributions and the benefits derived from them will not be taxed. The bill proposes that they be deducted from taxable income. This supplementary insurance scheme is based on contributions, and the pension amount received will be calculated according to the contributions made. “Through supplementary insurance,” Naim Hasa, director of the Social Insurance Institute, told the newspaper, “employees become more interested in contributing today for a more comfortable life in old age.” What benefits do the policies provide? One of them is an old-age pension, eligibility for which will require a minimum age of 40 for women and 45 for men. These institutes will also offer—under the arrangements set out in their regulations—seniority pensions and family pensions. An.Ste.

At thousands of bakeries, bread is produced 150–200 grams underweight. The excuse: “The price of fuel has gone up” TIRANA - “The bread we make weighs four or five hundred grams less than it should. This is because the private bakeries themselves produce it underweight.” TIRANA - “The bread we make weighs four or five hundred grams less than it should. This is because the private bakeries themselves produce it underweight. People cannot easily tell because, in general, bread is offered to customers warm, straight out of the oven. Later it turns out to have been sold below the weight corresponding to its price.” This is an allegation made by the Consumer Protection Association. Its chairman, Dr. Islam Cani, tells the newspaper with concern that this phenomenon is very widespread in the capital today. “Not only in Tirana, but also in many districts of the country, we have noticed cases in which bread is produced underweight. But here in Tirana this phenomenon is extremely widespread. Our Association’s members have reported it very often lately, with the sole aim of protecting consumers.” How do you explain the fact that people who buy it do not notice? “Generally, we have a mentality of buying bread warm, fresh out of the oven, because we think it is better that way. But naturally, at that moment the bread contains more moisture, and later, as it cools, that moisture disappears. So the consumer has bought less bread than they thought. They do not even realize that they have been cheated.” Why does this happen? “This happens because the competent authorities do not carry out specialized checks on bread production standards. When we ask different producers to explain this, they say—in justification—that since mazut and other fuels have become more expensive, they too have to do something to avoid reducing their profits. But they do it at the consumer’s expense.” The weight of the bread (photo: H.Pustina)

Up to 60% depreciation TIRANA - The value of privatization lekë is in the grip of free-market erosion. Hundreds of former political prisoners continue to sell their bank accounts in privatization lekë at a greatly reduced price, often as low as 30 percent of their value. And attempts by some people from this impoverished group—they have formed a board within the Association of the Persecuted—to protect the securities from this rampant “inflation” have failed. The “mountain” of privatization lekë distributed by the Government to compensate political prisoners for their suffering—their total value is estimated at around 30 million dollars—is rapidly melting away. Driven by urgent need for cash, but also by fear that the “securities” will lose even more value in the future, many former political prisoners flock to the doors of the Savings Bank to sell their accounts. Waiting for them are people with money—and their agents—offering a purchase price that is only a fraction of the value of these bank accounts. Thus, 10 million privatization lekë—the average amount received as compensation by each beneficiary—have often been sold for 3 to 4 million lekë. “It is difficult for any one of us,” members of the Securities Board established within the Association of Former Political Prisoners told the newspaper, “to buy privatization-auction properties alone, because of their high price.” This was also why they established the securities board. But although they have “centralized” the strength of 1,000 people from their ranks, or 1 billion and 400 thousand lekë in privatization funds, they have not managed to make a single purchase at privatization auctions. In despair, they are calling for the state’s protection... Andrea Stefani

Story KORÇE - After fighting death for two months, the triplet babies born in December at the Korçë maternity hospital now risk being left without a home. Their legal parents refuse to take them and want to leave them in an orphanage. They justify this painful decision by citing a lack of financial means and suitable living conditions: “We have been on social assistance for two years,” say Mirela and Asim Mesini, the parents of the three unfortunate babies. “We have only a one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, as well as another child we are raising.” The birth of three children at once came as an unwelcome surprise to the young parents. The arrival of the babies brought joy, but at the same time left the Mesini family wondering how they would raise them. At first, however, they had still not made a decision about the triplets’ future. During the two months the babies, Kristi, Mefia and Jezus, had spent in the maternity hospital—they were born at five months and had been under special medical care throughout—their parents had gone to see them almost every day. But now that the triplets can continue their normal lives, the fatal decision has come: “We don’t want to take them. It’s better to send them to an orphanage. We can’t raise them.” The parents’ reasoning has met with open opposition from the hospital doctors: “They want to put pressure on us so they can get another apartment,” is the comment of the maternity hospital specialists, who add: “These parents are trying to benefit from the aid of a French humanitarian mission that has been operating in our city for some time.” But beyond this account, both sides seem to forget that someone else is suffering: the three babies, who are still in the hospital wards today, with an unknown future ahead of them. Elsa Koçiu

Sentenced to 14 years BERAT - He ran over two people while driving drunk and must now serve a prison sentence. The Berat court sentenced 25-year-old Agron Goreci, a resident of Berat, to 17 years in prison. In August last year, Goreci, while drunk, was driving at high speed along the main road in the Uznove neighborhood. Unable to control his Benz, he caused a tragedy, killing Ruzhdie Cimbidhi and her 14-year-old daughter. At the time of the incident, Goreci did not stop, but sped away from the scene of the tragedy. Arrested a short time later, the 25-year-old was charged with killing people and fleeing the scene of the crime. Ha.Ta.

Masterplan TIRANA - It will be a promising year for Telekom and the services it will offer its customers. As part of the master plan drawn up to improve and modernize the telephone network, 1995 will bring 33,000 new telephone numbers, particularly to the city of Tirana. The same will be done in other major cities such as Durrës, Elbasan, Vlora, Shkodra, Gjirokastra, Berat and Vlora. Around 70 percent of this master plan will be completed during this year, and the remainder by the end of 1996. A significant improvement will also be made to the cable system through the installation of 240 kilometers of cable in most of the major cities. Meanwhile, the master plan also includes several subprojects that will be implemented in stages. The most important ones include the introduction of fax service, magnetic cards, and mobile telephone service. Durrës and Tirana will become two major Telekom hubs, whose services will connect our country with other European countries as well. p.re.

Leaders of all the political forces declare TIRANA - The Right-Wing Alliance has stepped up its criticism: “The current government has built a communist administration, creating a dangerous and corrupt social situation.” This was the gist of the statement made yesterday at a press conference by six leaders of right-wing forces - Sabri Godo of PR, Guro Durullari of the Legality Movement, Hysen Selfo of Balli Kombëtar, Remzi Ndreu of the Albanian Democratic Union, Kurt Kola of the Association of the Politically Persecuted, and Haki Hajadari of the Kulak Association. Speaking individually on behalf of the formations they lead, the representatives of the Right-Wing Alliance said that in the upcoming [elections] they would participate with joint candidates, selecting for this purpose people with a reputation across all the Alliance’s constituent groups. As for the exclusion from this alliance of the Democratic Right Party and the Association for Property with Justice - the first initiator of this alliance - Kurt Kola explained that the latter themselves have not yet made this decision. According to the joint statement, three-fifths of the Albanian population are affiliated with the Right-Wing Alliance. Meanwhile, this Alliance - again according to the statement - will welcome into its ranks any political force that accepts its program.

TIRANA - The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Roman Herzog, together with his wife Christiane, are guests invited by President Berisha to visit Albania. Herzog and the “first lady” of West Germany will come to our country on February 28 and March 1. The trip to Albanian soil precedes another one: the meeting between the President of Italy, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, and Pope John Paul II.

YESTERDAY IN ALBANIA This is the third case in Sarandë in which people involved in the circulation of counterfeit currency have been caught by the police. The two brothers of a friend had a dispute over this matter in Sarandë and are now in the custody of the Gjirokastër Police.

It was a tragic death—that of 28-year-old Shpëtim Njerjaku from Kavajë. At 3 a.m., he was found dead by a firearm, near his home, from which he had jumped from the fifth floor. Seven hours earlier, the victim had attempted to kill his sister as well, but was stopped by his sisters. According to the forensic doctor, Njerjaku suffered from nervous depression.

A tourism hotel bearing Berat’s name is about to resume operations. For months its building had remained closed, apparently because its owner could not be found. Now renovated, the hotel is ready to welcome guests.

Around 1,000 students do not receive the state money TIRANA - Why are students not collecting their scholarships? Around 1,000 students from various faculties of the University have not collected the scholarships granted by the state. The amount made available to them is 900,000 lekë. This concerns the first three months of the school year, October, November and December. According to those responsible for state scholarships, this is not a matter of insufficient funds; rather, the young people themselves have neglected to collect the money. On the other hand, the coordinator at the University - as a budgetary institution - has voiced the same position regarding the scholarships. In any case, the fact remains that attendance at the university is optional, meaning students are not required to come every day. This may be why collecting the scholarships has been put off. In general, anyone with convincing reasons [for not collecting] does so, because students always need the money - although 900 lekë is not much - but for a student it can mean an outing with friends. “I forget to collect the state money,” Klara Rama tells the newspaper, “because I have started working and I earn more from my job. The amount offered as a scholarship is very small; it’s not enough for us.” The Ministry of Finance has now provided the funds for the January-February-March quarter. But this fund is insufficient for all the students. Therefore, the state [must ensure] that they are able to receive money regularly.

Masterplan Tirana, 23 thousand INSIDE “Stop” in the Championship: Leaders of six political forces make statements

“Stop” in the Championship: Albanian referees will leave the stadiums On page 3 Serie A: The matches, referees, injuries, standings and other curiosities On page 3

Currency Commercial Bank Buying Selling Albakoop shpk Buying Selling Free market Buying Selling Dollars 93.20 95.20 94.00 94.60 94.20 94.30 Marks 60.40 61.35 60.80 61.20 61.05 61.20 Lire 57.50 59.00 57.80 58.20 58.00 58.10 Drachmas 38.25 39.20 39.00 39.20 39.10 39.25

Special page with a super crossword 26 27 30 17 1 2 3 5 16 28 31 34 39 19 On page 2