Under the conditions of an intensive economy, the efficiency of social production constitutes one of the fundamental factors in the country’s development. Without making highly productive use of the living labour and material-technical base we possess, and without properly calculating the cost-effectiveness of every expenditure, the rates and proportions of expanded socialist reproduction cannot be secured. The decision of the 9th Plenum of the Party CC makes this requirement all the more imperative. Management on the basis of independent accounting necessarily means creating the financial capacity for expanded reproduction. As the decision stresses, it does not accept operating at a loss, except in necessary cases that are consciously judged to warrant it. Despite the achievements, a number of enterprises and some products continue to incur losses. The causes are numerous, but mainly subjective. Production factors had a marked effect on the poor financial results of the oil and gas, chrome and copper enterprises, etc. They constitute the main focus of the work of cadres, specialists and workers in enterprises, districts and ministries. But the financial situation of the above-mentioned enterprises was also hit by higher quality, the impoverishment mechanism, etc. They show that the paths and opportunities for improving financial results everywhere are open. The issue is to deepen these measures further and put them into effect quickly. Agricultural enterprises, especially in Krujë, Durrës, etc., markedly improved their financial results compared with the last 2–3 years. Meanwhile, the financial situation of state agricultural enterprises in some other districts, which have become drains on accumulation, cannot be justified. To overcome this situation, the decisive factor remains the work of cadres and specialists, and of the working class in this sector itself, in fulfilling the plans. Their mobilization, however, grows and yields the necessary results when accompanied by certain measures in the field of organization and management. The work begun to improve the crop structure, adjust price movements, make producers more interested, etc., must be continued and further developed according to local conditions. The use of living and embodied labour without proper criteria has also repeatedly become a source of losses in agricultural enterprises. In the agricultural enterprises of the Tirana district, which account for about 40 percent of the los[ses?]… Increasing the efficiency of agricultural production is also linked to several other factors whose impact must be curbed, first and foremost by cadres and specialists. In agricultural cooperatives, for example, heifers are transferred to the cow category 8 months late, while in state agricultural enterprises the delay is 6 months. This entails additional costs of several tens of millions of lekë. According to the experiment conducted by the Ministry of Finance at the cattle complex in Velipojë, slaughtering at higher weights doubles output while reducing costs by about 30 percent. Agricultural enterprises and the districts responsible for them have much to do on these and other issues that can increase the efficiency of agricultural production. Last year, several enterprises and products in construction materials, fishing and the food industry also incurred heavy losses. The analyses carried out reveal a series of problems that require solutions through economic and technical thinking. It has become necessary […] Increasing the efficiency of social production cannot be conceived without strengthening economic and financial accounting and control. The increase in costs at economic enterprises at the end of the year proved to be far greater than during the 11-month period, so much so that in some enterprises the difference was not in percentage points but several times over. Also to be noted is the unacceptable phenomenon whereby enterprises move out of loss, while others, “unexpectedly,” fall into loss. Under conditions of strengthening khozraschot, timely identification and analysis of the factors affecting production performance take on particular importance. The relevant ministries—the Ministry of Finance and the State Planning Commission—must therefore take the necessary measures both to improve accounting records and to ensure they are produced accurately and on time. Economic and financial analyses conducted with workers are becoming even more important. Workers now demand to see the accounts clearly, concretely and daily, rather than merely through large monthly and quarterly meetings and assemblies. Improving the quality of work and the responsibility of planning and finance employees must also be accompanied by economic measures linking workers’ remuneration to the deadlines and quality of accounting and statistical records— coal chronicle, etc., production factors had a clear impact. specialists, and employees at the enterprises and in the surrounding areas. But the financial situation of the aforementioned enterprises was also hit by major overruns in the use of materials and the wage fund, losses from fines and contractual penalties, etc. There have been many analyses of this phenomenon at every level; nevertheless, it continues to appear as an accumulated «boil». Today’s requirements are such that every unprofitable activity and every excessive expense must be eliminated. Some measures adopted this year for managing production at the mining sites thus. The loss factor in agricultural enterprises has been discussed several times, as has the indiscriminate use of labor, both human and material. In the agricultural enterprises of the district of Tirana, which account for around 40 percent of the loans and of these enterprises, there are many cases of wages paid for work not performed, because during certain periods the workforce is not assigned work that yields adequate productivity. The measures recently taken to concentrate and specialize agricultural crops and livestock farming, and to determine their most appropriate scale, must be accompanied by the action of all the other factors that ensure an improvement in the financial situation— A factor in losses at agricultural enterprises has also, on several occasions, been the indiscriminate use of both human and materialized labor. At the agricultural enterprises in of wages being paid for work not done, because during some periods the workforce is not assigned work productively. and livestock farming, and to determine their most suitable expenses. This is all they say: “Technology is to blame!” But how long will they wait, after this refrain, for the losses to mount? At the collection enterprises, additional expenses are incurred to bring the grain up to standard, but the corresponding costs are not charged to the agricultural economies. Losses at the sugar combine in Maliq are increasing, because only 6 percent of the sugar beet is transported directly, while the rest remains stored for a long time. These issues have been known for a long time; nevertheless a series of problems requiring solutions through economic and technical thinking. The situation in some brick factories has become evident, even commonplace. They say only this: “Technology is to blame!”

On March 19, 1990, at the age of 55, after a serious illness, comrade Mihallaq Ilo Qirjako, member of the Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Albania and deputy of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Hero of Socialist Labour, died. On March 19, 1990, at the age of 55, after a serious illness, comrade Mihallaq Ilo Qirjako, member of Republic of Albania, Hero of Socialist Labour, died. Comrade Mihallaq was born in Polenë in the district of Korçë, into a poor peasant family that became a base of the National Liberation War. He devoted his life to work in agriculture, which he began at an early age, and with all his strength helped implement and advance it, strengthening the cooperative system with all the passion that characterized him, and with his knowledge and ability as a production organizer. Mihallaq knew how to benefit both from schooling and from working people, whom he loved and respected throughout his life. Comrade Mihallaq Qirjako was distinguished by his modesty, honesty, willpower and complete readiness wherever he was assigned to work—as an agronomist, chief agronomist, chairman and director in various cooperatives in the district of Korçë, such as Zvarrisht and Rrëmbec, and for a long time in Plasë, now the “Enver Hoxha” Agricultural Enterprise, as well as in the Korçë Agricultural Enterprise. He worked devotedly as a Party official, as First Secretary of the Party Committee of the Kolonjë district and later of Korçë, and in the apparatus of the Party Central Committee. He was a progressive person. He worked and struggled unceasingly for high yields and for constant improvement in the organization of work. The agricultural cooperative of Plasë, and later the “Enver Hoxha” Agricultural Enterprise, where he worked and held leadership positions for a long time, became among the most advanced farms in the district and throughout the country. The experience of Plasë, so well known in our country, is closely linked to the work, studies, implementation and development of comrade Mihallaq’s culture. The Party and the people always held his work and his moral and political qualities and virtues in high regard. Thus, he was admitted as a Party member as early as 1965 and was elected to Party and state bodies in the district. At the 8th and 9th Congresses he was elected to the Plenum of the Party Central Committee, while in the 11th Legislature he was elected deputy to the People’s Assembly of the PSR of Albania. The Presidium of the People’s Assembly decorated him with various orders and with the high title “Hero of Socialist Labour.” He remained a simple man of the people and of the Party. Such Mihallaq Qirjako will live in the minds of all those who worked with him and knew him: a great example and inspiration. Hekuran Isai, Pali Miska, Vangjel Çerrava, Sihat Tozaj, Hysen Faqolli, Gjergji Krasifillari, ku, Alie Kalaja, Kostaq Lazri, Sotiraq Mizaku, Thoma Koço; Ilo Prifti. sigan Faqolli, Gjergj Krasifilla-kli, Alie Kalaja, Kostag Lazri, Sotira Mizaku, Thoma Koco; Ilo Prifti. Portrait of Mihallaq Ilo Qirjako

Yesterday afternoon, a ceremony was held in one of the halls of the “Dajti” Hotel in the capital to inaugurate, for the first time, the new automatic domestic long-distance and international telephone service in Albania. PTT employees and staff of various ministries and institutions attended. Also present were the minister attached to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and chairman of the Committee for Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, Farudin Hoxha; the Minister of Foreign Trade, Shane Korbeci; the chairman of the Executive Committee of the District People’s Council, Llambi Geprf-ti; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Muhamet Kapllani; the director of the Institute of International Relations Studies, Prof. Sofokli Lazri; and other comrades. Delegations had come to attend the ceremony from the Greek Ministry of Transport and Communications, headed by the director of Post and Telecommunications, Georges Antoniou; from the Italian Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, headed by its undersecretary, Senator Raffaele Russo; as well as the representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Lujin Miler; the representative of the International Telecommunication Union (UIT), the head of its technical cooperation department for Europe, Nabil Kisraui; the general director of ITALTEL, Xhan Mario Kosta; and guests from other European firms. The heads of the diplomatic corps accredited in our country were also present. The Director General of the PTT, Sokol Hoxha, delivered the address on the occasion. Among other things, he pointed out that the inauguration of the new automatic domestic long-distance and international telephone service was an event of particular importance and an effective contribution to the economic and social life of our country. (Continued on page 3)

The delegation of the Central Committee of the Albanian Labour Youth Union, headed by the committee’s secretary, Rrapo Zguri, returned to the homeland from Syria. At the invitation of the Syrian Revolutionary Youth Union, it had attended the 25th Congress of that organization. (ATSH)

On the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the establishment of the State Security Branch, meetings and discussions have been held with cadres and veterans of this branch at work and production centers, schools, agricultural cooperatives, and units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They spoke about the heroic path of the State Security Branch, which was established by the Party and the glorious and unforgettable leader, Comrade Enver Hoxha, from the years of the National Anti-Fascist Liberation War to the present day, and about the training carried out by its personnel in implementing the decisions of the 9th Plenum of the Party’s Central Committee and Comrade Ramiz Alia’s instructions on strengthening ties with the masses, raising their ideological and political level, and further developing their professional skills. In this context, photo exhibitions have been opened among the personnel of this branch, showing aspects of their lives and the training they undertake to serve the people and the Homeland with honor and loyalty; artistic programs by amateur performers have also been presented. (ATSH)

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the death of the distinguished folklorist and activist of the National Renaissance, Thimi Mitko, the National Historical Museum, in cooperation with the Institute of Popular Culture, organized a commemorative meeting yesterday in the lecture hall of this museum in the capital. Employees of the Institute of Popular Culture, the Institute of Linguistics and Literature, the State Archives, and the National Library took part, along with researchers, students, and lecturers from the Faculty of Philology of the «Enver Hoxha» University of Tirana, etc. In the paper «Thimi Mitko – a distinguished figure of the National Renaissance», delivered by senior research associate Qemal Haxhihasani, it was noted, among other things, that Thimi Mitko was among the first to put forward the idea of an armed uprising for national liberation, and that he worked devotedly for the unity of the nation’s brothers and for the establishment of an Albanian education system. The director of the Institute of Linguistics and Literature, Dr. Jorgo Bulo, presented new facts and information about him as an activist of the National Renaissance in his paper «Thimi Mitko in the light of new archival discoveries». The discovery in recent years of Thimi Mitko’s archive, he emphasized, sheds new light on his multifaceted figure and opens up new prospects for research on him. In this context, a commemorative afternoon was also organized at the library in the district of Korçë, which had been attended by Thimi Mitko. Its director, Katerina Ligori, spoke about the life and work of the distinguished folklorist and patriot Thimi Mitko. Researchers, historians, and others also spoke. A bust of Thimi Mitko was unveiled in one of the rooms of this library. (According to ATSH)

This year, agricultural workers in the district of Lushnjë have greater export targets, and have therefore stepped up their mobilization to meet them successfully. In recent days, this issue was also discussed by the bureau of the District Party Committee, which, alongside reviewing the positive results achieved so far, set new tasks for the future. For the January–February period, the district-wide export target was fulfilled at 150 percent. These targets are also being met very well during the current period in March, and it is forecast that, at the present rate, the annual plan will be fulfilled within the first six months. The quarterly plan for cucumber exports was completed ahead of schedule. The «29 Nëntori» state agricultural enterprise and the Krutje agricultural cooperative distinguished themselves in particular (in addition, during this period the domestic market received twice the planned amount of vegetables). Special attention is now being paid to tomatoes and other plants for export, including medicinal plants. This year, more than 55 types of such plants will be exported from this district. To collect them, the procurement enterprise has opened 14 centers in Hysgjokal, Fier-Shegan, Gorre, Gradishtë, Divjakë, and the city of Lushnjë. In addition, 8 more collection points will be established at various economic enterprises. One of the problems that has arisen is packaging; indeed, without securing the necessary quantity of packaging, future targets may be hindered. Thus, as Vasil Nushi, an employee of the district executive committee of the KP, tells us, 600,000 crates for tomatoes and 100,000 for cucumbers are needed for the first six months alone. Taking the plan and daily rate into account, it is forecast that only 342,000 crates, or about 50 percent of the required quantity, will be secured during this period. Therefore, measures are being taken for the district carpentry workshop to organize work in two shifts, with one in each village now, in order to meet the aforementioned requirement. Work has only just begun on packaging needed for potatoes as well. A quantity has been procured, and the search for sacks has begun. Knowing that 24,000 sacks are needed for export, the district executive committee of the KP has set new tasks, and work is underway to secure this quantity as quickly as possible. We can make one observation about shallqin, where, generally speaking, there is a certain delay. We say this because plowing the land for this crop should already have been completed. Thus, the early production is at risk. • SOTIRAQ GJORDENI From the cooperative in the village of ... in the Korçë district, as in Zvarisht and Rëmbece, Hoxha” Agricultural Enterprise, and at the Kor- Agricultural Enterprise,

During the first three years of the campaign in the district of Përmet, water-supply systems were built in 36 villages. For 1990, the task is to build water-supply systems in only 20 villages. The experience gained so far, together with the tasks set each year, provides a foundation and an incentive for successfully completing the campaign. In this connection, tasks have been set to organize the work on a broad front and to mobilize the villagers to dig the channels, build the reservoirs, chlorination rooms, etc. The trade section, the commune, and the municipal enterprise, as well as the economic enterprises, are providing concrete assistance to ensure that the material resources are available on time, in accordance with the allocation made by the district headquarters. We are in the middle of the first quarter— (Continued on page 2)

OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PARTY OF LABOUR OF ALBANIA The Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Albania announces with profound sorrow that on 19.3.1990, after a serious illness, Mihallaq Ilo Qirjako, member of and deputy of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, died.

OF COMRADE MIHALLAQ QIRJAKO’S FUNERAL

To pay our last respects to comrade Mihallaq Qirjako, the coffin containing the body of comrade Mihallaq Qirjako will be placed in the hall of the “Ali Kel-” Cultural Palace on 21.3.1990 at 11.00, in the hall of the “Ali Kel-” Cultural Palace, “mendi” Korçë, on 21.3.1990 from 9 to 10.00. The funeral will take place in the cemetery of this city. The Commission

IN LUSHNJE: