- Successful implementation of the reform is interdependent with the quality of its design - The management of the economy needs to be made convergent at all levels - Successful implementation of the reform is interdependent with the quality of its design - The management of the economy needs to be made convergent at all levels The main dimension of the reform for overcoming the transition period toward full democracy is the economic one: Indeed; more than 80 percent of the positive prospects for implementing the reform are linked to making the right choices about economic problems. From this perspective, the entire state and administrative pyramid needs to devote most of its time and its principal concern to these problems. In this regard, Parliament, the political parties and their spokespeople need to be concerned with them. Realistically, economic solutions are being reached slowly, as always with reference to the needs of the time; they are being reached with somewhat poor quality; they are partial, going as far as fragmentation; and, finally, many are of different kinds, some of which we emphasize below: The programme of the democratic government for carrying out economic reform is both multidimensional and far-reaching. However, while this programme aims to achieve the good quickly, it also contains elements of economic euphoria. These elements are rooted in the economic terrain from which the reform begins. The beginnings of the reform, which I would call pe- these unsecured resources that need to be increased so that the decline can be halted and economic recovery begin. 2. The governance and management of the economy need to be made convergent in all their varieties and at all levels. The first period of the reform, particularly at present when state property is predominant, requires piloting the economy in all its structures. This piloting will be carried out by the government and its administrations. Piloting the economy is fundamentally different from the centralized direction of the economy by the state, because the former is carried out through the creation and implementation of comprehensive legislation on the management of the market economy, while the latter relies on administrative orders and decisions based on the principle of unified and centralized control. During the transition phase, the economy is governed by the state through economic methods and the corresponding laws, which need naturally to extend into every pore, ensuring the convergence of the economic interests of all its structural cells, so that private and individual initiative; that of groups and different strata, can be materially stimulated directly, to take more… At the lower levels, two undesirable attitudes have taken hold: first, some laws, decisions and instructions are not known, or are known late; second, these levels do not undertake work to break them down and adapt them in accordance with the needs of the grassroots levels. In some cases, and these are not few, discrepancies are observed [particular elements in the field of economic policy / between the government and ministries, or when one ministry implements something, another does not resolve the same issue. The slower-than-necessary progress of economic reform should also be seen as a consequence of the fact that, from the centre, priority has so far been given only to the formal economy, such as financial, banking and currency issues, while the real economy, relating to the sphere of production and services, has been neglected. This kind of priority is harmful because recovery cannot begin without production. The current moment requires that problems of the formal economy can be resolved only if the problems of the real economy are resolved first. The former problems, although they catalyse the latter, have their roots in the production economy. The solution to this discrepancy needs to be considered not only in terms of legislation, but also in terms of industrialization, the creation of appropriate structures, the information system, etc. The measured acceleration of the reform’s implementation is closely linked to harmonizing immediate goals with long-term ones. That is, the «tracks» of the future need to be laid out concretely and, indeed, the «locomotive» set in place, rather than doing the opposite. In light of this judgment, more work, and work of higher quality, should be devoted to the future—for example, where should we be with privatization in two years, which production and service structures will be developed, and according to what correlation? Harmonizing and bringing the present into convergence with the future requires the economic management pyramid to devote more effort to studies. Otherwise, laws, decisions and instructions will become obsolete very quickly, and the time needed to carry out the reform will be excessively prolonged. ISA GORICA Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics …economic is as multidimensional as it is deep. However, because this program is aimed at achieving prosperity began. The beginnings of the reform, which I would call the period after this government took office, started from completely paralyzed ground, because all branches of the economy had lost their vitality and were rushing headlong into loss-making processes. Thus, halting this process and even beginning to recover would require long-term adjustments that should be more thoughtful, adjustments to objectives that should be more moderate, and adjustments to methods and ways of achieving goals, which should be more flexible and prudent. You can devise a high-quality economic project, but if you do not support it with financial, material, and personnel resources, it will not be properly implemented. At the level our economy has reached, priority must be given to financial resources, which would serve to breathe life into some existing branches and establish new ones. If thought was given to new branches, personnel, and materials, not much thought was given to financial resources. It is precisely… …naturally throughout every pore, ensuring that the economic interests of all its structural cells converge, so that private and individual initiative, as well as that of groups and different social strata, is directly and materially encouraged; that those who work more and with higher quality, and contribute more to the country's prosperity, receive more. The fiscal policy that has been adopted, despite the improvements made, carries within itself a failure to align the stimulation of the present with the stimulation of the future; in many cases, it neither guarantees nor enables the strategic future. This phenomenon is particularly reflected in the law on taxes, turnover tax, etc. Some decisions and instructions issued after the new law on enterprises, regarding the wage system in public enterprises, do not align with the fundamental law governing enterprise management. These administrative acts hinder initiative, particularly increases in production and revenue. The government–ministries–municipalities–enterprises chain operates intermittently and without the necessary efficiency. Meanwhile, in enterprises that feel more responsible for energizing the economy, at the middle levels and… levels and… …can be resolved if the problems of the real economy are addressed first. The primary problems, although they act as catalysts in the right direction, this deviation must be sought not only in legislation, but also in The measured acceleration of the implementation of the reform is closely linked to harmonizing immediate objectives with those for the future. In other words, the “tracks” of the future must be laid out and, moreover, the “locomotive” put this judgment, greater and higher-quality attention should be devoted to the future: for to what relationship? Harmonizing and aligning the present with the future requires the economic management pyramid to engage more in studies. Otherwise, laws, decisions, and instructions will become outdated reform will be prolonged.

From President Sali Berisha’s visit to Laç, Lezhë and Shkodër Yesterday morning, the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Rexhep Uk[a] and Major General Bak[l] S[h]ehu, visited the district of Laç and Lezhë. At the Laç District Council, he met with members of the Council and members of the commission established to address the situation in this district. Bardhok Riza, chairman of the district council, gave the President a detailed briefing on the damage and the measures taken. He reported that 610 hectares of land planted with wheat had been flooded across the district; irrigation and land-reclamation works had been seriously damaged; the power supply was difficult to distribute because seven transformers and seven water pumps had been damaged, costing more than one million lekë, etc. The President Berisha was also given details by people from other villages about the difficulties faced by the people of this district in recent days. At the meeting, President Sali Berisha said: «The damage is extensive, especially the material damage, but what is important is that, in this case, we have not suffered many human casualties, as we did four years ago, because that would have made people’s emotional state even worse.» Continuing his remarks, the President assured those present that the government had taken all measures to be as responsive as possible to people’s needs for food, clothing, medicines and electricity, and to repair free of charge houses damaged by the floods. He also said that the Ministry of Agriculture was taking measures to replant the damaged fields, since this was of great importance. As for families displaced from their homes, the President said that food should be delivered to them wherever they were, and repairs to the damaged houses should be expedited. The President greets residents gathered in the town centre. From there, President Sali Berisha went to the district of Lezhë, where he learned that material damage, as in Laç, had been extensive. In the commune of Talë, 1700 families[?] had been flooded, while in Ishull Lezhë there were another 200. At this meeting, the President was also informed of other flood-related damage, including 2400 poultry, 1000 pigs and 6000 hectares of flooded land, much of which had been planted with crops. At this meeting too, President Berisha said that the material damage would be remedied through the measures taken by the government. Also yesterday, President Sali Berisha visited the village of Alk, in the Fushë Kuqe area of the Laç district, where he met with residents, many of whose homes had been flooded and whose livestock, animal feed and other crops had been damaged. Expressing their joy at this unexpected visit, they told the President of their concerns about housing, food, electricity, seedlings, etc., saying that they trusted the government but needed as much help as possible during this period. The President told them: «I am very concerned about the situation that has arisen and the damage you have suffered, but, being sure that everything here will be put right soon, I can tell you that the government will stand by you during these difficult days, because we will all overcome natural disasters together, helping one another.» After his visit to the district of Lezhë, yesterday the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, arrived for a visit to the city of Shkodër. At the premises of the «Ta- (Continued on page 4)

Yesterday afternoon, while travelling toward Lezhë, and specifically toward some of the areas worst affected by the recent floods, we tried to present a picture of the current situation. In the Shëngjin-Mamurras area the situation appears calm. Here and there, plots on the left side of the road are still flooded. In the centre of Laç, heavy vehicles are working to clear the roads. The situation appears to have returned to normal; the land is somewhat drier… On both sides of the Mat River downstream from the Milot bridge, the land is still flooded, and the river, having burst its banks, looks like a lake. In Zejmen too, the land on both sides of the road is still flooded. At one point, the water rose over the road. In the Tresh area, heavy machinery continues to work on clearing the road, which was blocked by collapsed embankments and sand slides. As we entered the city of Lezhë, piles of stone caught the eye [The ground was] soaked in mud, sludge and gravel. Water from the streams was still flowing down across the roads from the kerbs. The city had spent two nights without electricity. At around 15:30 we arrived in Shënkoll. The situation here is stable and the water levels have fallen, but a few hundred metres farther on they remain high. It is worth noting that on our way here we passed Rila; the farm that has the largest area of land has been flooded; out of 1000 hectares, 500 hectares are submerged, of the… In the centre of Laç, heavy machinery is returned to normal; the fields have been cleared of the floodwaters, although flooded plots can still be seen in the background. On the outskirts of the city of Lezhë, piles of stones and gravel can be seen gathered on both sides of the road. The city’s main road is… …like the league. In Zërmen, too, the fields on both sides of the road are still flooded. In places, the water has spilled working to clear the road, blocked by collapsed embankments and landslides. As we enter city’s main road has been stabilized; the bridges have collapsed, but a few hundred metres farther on, they are at a higher elevation. It should be noted that on the way here we passed Rrëshen and the farm, most of whose land is flooded: out of 1,000 hectares, 500 hectares are submerged, including 200 hectares planted with wheat. The same situation also exists in… (Continued on page 4)

- At the invitation of the Minister of Defence, Safet Zhulali, a delegation led by Nevzat Ayaz, Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Turkey, arrived in our country on 18 November for an official visit. The high-level military delegation also includes the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Major General Şener Canova; the Director of Combat Training at the General Staff, Major General Orhan Genceler; as well as other senior military officers. The high-level military delegation was received by Defence Minister Safet Zhulali, Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Baki Shehi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arian Starova, Deputy Minister of Defence Mr Fatmir Memaj, senior military officers and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc. Also present were the then Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to the Republic of Albania, Metin Ornekol; Military Attaché Colonel Denis Jeshlimark; and other officials of the embassy. (Continued on page 4)

The G.24 Conference on agriculture began its proceedings «This is not simply a conference of promises,» said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Food Rexhep Uka at its opening. The other co-chair of the conference, Antonio Camin, representative of the Commission of the European Community in Albania, said that this conference, following the G-24 conference in Tirana in July, demonstrates the attention and importance that the member countries of this group and the relevant organizations attach to Albania’s development. The conference is attended by specialists in agriculture, economics, finance, etc.; representatives of the European Community, the World Bank, FAO, UNDP and USAID; representatives of Austria, France, Greece, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey and Great Britain; and Albanian officials and specialists. At the beginning, the conference was presented with the Albanian Government’s economic transformation programme. Speaking about the political framework for agricultural development, Minister of Agriculture and Food Rexhep Uka highlighted the miserable state into which half a century of communist rule had plunged Albanian agriculture, a situation that also led to shortages of food products in the cities. He discussed the policy pursued and being pursued by the Albanian democratic government on privatizing agriculture, giving land to farmers, liberalizing the prices of agricultural products, restructuring and privatizing the agricultural enterprises (NB), etc. The minister emphasized the dire state of mechanization: «At a very low level,» he said, «we will need 500 tractors in the spring and another 600 next autumn to cope with planting.» He also spoke about Albania’s needs for rapidly developing livestock farming, especially small livestock, whose numbers currently stand at around 3.5 million head, with this year’s growth rate expected to be 2–5 percent higher than in other years. He emphasized the need for financial assistance to protect the ecosystem, increase the area of new forests and preserve existing ones, etc. Another direction of the government’s food policy that was highlighted was the privatization of small and medium-sized food-processing enterprises within the next six months. Mr Uka also spoke about the need for urgent credit in all agricultural subsectors and the government’s policy of encouraging prices, especially for wheat, etc. Presenting the framework for… (Continued on page 4)

N O T I C E The Presidium of the Democratic Party, in view of the unexpected and shocking events that have taken place in the northern and northwestern areas of the country as a result of the heavy rainfall, has decided that the meeting of the DP National Council scheduled for 20 November 1992 will be postponed for one week; Members of the DP National Council are hereby informed that the meeting will be held on 27 November 1992, at 10 o’clock, in Tirana.