AGGRESSIVE EFFORTS TO COMPLETE THE SECOND SIX-MONTH PERIOD Steady and productive — Some collectives are “eating into” the overfulfillment of the first six-month period — At district level, the plan for the January–August period was fulfilled on the 22nd of this month, and by the end of August goods worth 2.5 million lekë above the plan will have been produced. The measures taken to enter the new economic mechanism are helping to increase labor productivity and production efficiency. With the exception of the construction, land-improvement and municipal-services enterprises, all the other enterprises are exceeding their production targets. The collective of the food enterprise fulfilled its eight-month plan 10 days ahead of schedule and five days ahead of its commitment. Its distinguishing characteristics are regularity and efficiency. The overfulfillment is the result of a 5.9 percent increase in labor productivity. The delivery by agricultural enterprises of 2,000 quintals of milk and 500 quintals of cherries, and the processing of all agricultural and livestock products, have increased their processing both for the domestic market and for export. This year, production for export at this enterprise has doubled. “But the increase in production has given rise to some problems with its distribution,” says Nesti Kosta, head of the industry section at the district People's Council executive committee. “There is not enough capacity to handle it all. The trading enterprise will not accept cheese and butter because there is no storage warehouse. Transport is not keeping up with the movement of products, either for collecting raw materials or for transporting finished products. Under the new economic mechanism, these problems have consequences for the enterprise's financial position.” For the eight-month period, the collectives of the NPN, the NPD, and the procurement enterprise have also exceeded their targets. But at the planning and industry sections we learn that these enterprises have fallen behind their production schedules in July and August. At the NPD, there is a shortage of labor in the timber sector. There is a contract with the district of Korçë for 50 workers, but they have left over the past two months to meet the needs of agriculture. At the NPN, raw materials were unavailable for a time, and workers were reduced to four- and six-hour workdays. As a result, labor productivity also fell. Some measures have now been taken to secure raw materials, but the workers are demanding that the administration take the initiative in addressing the problems, because when it was decided that the administration would be paid 50 percent of its salary for this shortage, the workers were sent out to secure raw materials and work sites for them. At the procurement enterprise there has been a marked decline in production for export, which affects the district as a whole, since this accounts for more than 60 percent of the goods, in any case. The view of the managers and specialists at this enterprise is now that the plan will not be fulfilled! The two pictures presented for the second half of the year show that there are opportunities and ways to fulfill the plan. The administrations and sections must fight to remove all obstacles in time. PËRPARIM MUSTAFAJ volunteer correspondent for “Zëri i popullit”

Instead of the second six-month period being more fruitful than the same period last year, the opposite has happened. During July and August of this year, the shortfalls have been mounting and deepening. The overall shortfall in industrial production since the beginning of the year has reached 10 million lekë. The main contributors are those production enterprises that have consistently fallen short. These include the soda plant, the oil extraction enterprise, marine fishing and wood processing. The shortfall at the soda plant is particularly serious. Two shortcomings are central: labor discipline and technical discipline; these are the areas that must be addressed most forcefully to turn things around. Yet, faced with these demands, there are more all-embracing plans and management staffs that are [unclear], along with delays and concessions. The shortfall at the NPV after the six-month period also has a major impact. Faced with the situation that has arisen, one must not become discouraged and sit with one's arms crossed. More than ever, initiative is needed to find ways and opportunities to produce and provide people with work. This category of enterprises deserves to be kept more at the center of attention by the district authorities as well. Reducing the overall shortfall also requires attention to the group of enterprises that are meeting or exceeding their targets, as well as those whose performance fluctuates. Why? So that they can increase their overfulfillment. The opportunities are there. For example, the bitumen mine has such opportunities if it receives better support for transporting bituminous gravel, which would help increase the quantities processed. Improvements can also be achieved at the NPA, the arts enterprises, the food enterprise in Himarë, the soap-and-oil enterprise, the lamp factory and the tannin factory. It would be worthwhile for the relevant sections, working together with the management teams of these enterprises, to calculate every week and month what more can be done. The same applies to construction. There is no objective reason why this enterprise should fail to meet its targets. The basic organizations and Party bureaus there are not bringing sufficient force to bear on the specific accountability of the enterprise directors and the quarry management teams, and so problems continue to recur from month to month. The trading enterprises, meanwhile, need to face the current situation—which is increasingly difficult and also affected by other forms of trade—with greater responsibility and imagination. The Party's basic organizations must take a firm stand in the face of these problems and confront the cadres, specialists and collective workforces with them. SEJDIN CEKANI correspondent for “Zëri i popullit”

The ATSH correspondent learned yesterday at the Ministry of Agriculture that, within the framework of economic, industrial and technical cooperation between the «Teknoimport»-Tiranë enterprise and the Italian firm «FIATAGRI», a contract has been concluded to carry out two pilot projects aimed at increasing production on 300 ha of corn and 300 ha of rice. The contract has begun to be implemented for corn at the Bushat agricultural enterprise and for rice at the agricultural cooperative of the upper belt of Barbullush, in the district of Shkodër, under the methodological guidance of the Institute of Corn and Rice. By introducing modern technology and fully mechanizing work on these two crops, the aim is to obtain more than 100 quintals of corn and 60 quintals of rice per hectare. The implementation of these projects will reduce the cost per unit of production and open up prospects for extending this technology to larger areas in the future. Among other things, the new technology involves using special machinery and equipment, such as laser-guided equipment for leveling plots, mechanizing all work processes in wet conditions, and harvesting and drying rice directly in the field with mobile dryers, thereby eliminating manual labor. The investments in both projects will be recouped within two years, while the income generated by the increased production will make it possible for the [unclear] to be achieved this year. With this technology, the annual production increase will be around 600 tons of husked rice and around 1,500 tons of corn, with a combined value of 405,000 dollars per year. Under the contract, the Italian firm has supplied the tractors, machinery and equipment needed to carry out the agrotechnical processes on time. The new technology is being implemented by our workers and specialists from both farms and the Institute of Corn and Rice in Shkodër, in cooperation with specialists from the firm «FIATAGRI», under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture. To prepare for the implementation of the projects, the new technology was tested this year on limited areas for both corn and rice, and the experimental data gathered so far promise high results. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture is working to expand relations with other countries and firms in order to introduce modern technologies that will increase agricultural and livestock production. (ATSH)

Speaking with Skënder Hasën, director of the enterprise at the Lezhë railway station, we learn that over a period of seven months and 20 days, the volume of work was completed to 126 percent, producing several thousand tons more than planned, while freight handling in physical tons reached 113 percent. Today, at this [unclear], work [unclear] for the first days of October, while we will complete the five-year plan within August. This was helped by the discipline and care of the workers, better use of economic levers, forms of compensation and other benefits resulting from recent decisions. For example, new incentive schemes have been used to make full use of wagon capacity, with higher rates applied to certain types of goods. Greater responsibility has likewise been applied for the amount of work performed above the norm. This has encouraged workers in general to reduce the time wagons spend on normal work, which has led to the train schedule being exceeded by 76 percent. In other words, trains at this station have always departed ahead of their scheduled time. In most cases, out of four hours of…

As you inquire into progress in carrying out the tasks for August, you learn that the collective of the brick factory will produce an additional 50,000 bricks above plan this month. Continuing its good tradition of achievements, this collective has pledged to produce a total of 850,000 bricks above the planned target by the end of the year, in support of the campaign to build apartments with volunteer assistance. The enterprises in the food-industry system, the NPAs and others, have also significantly exceeded their targets for the period, while the enterprises in the construction system will exceed the volume of construction planned within the district for the five-year period as early as these days. Is this the whole picture? Some enterprises, despite failing to meet their seven-month targets, have nevertheless accumulated a deficit for the first 20 days of August. The NPK completed 86 percent of its seven-month target and 37 percent of the target for the first 20 days of August; the oil plant in Cërrik completed about 60 percent of its seven-month target and nearly 50 percent of the target for these days. There are also enterprises, such as the metallurgical combine, that have met their seven-month targets but have significant shortfalls for the first 20 days. The difficulties that have arisen are varied, but there is no reason for them to be magnified to the point where fulfillment of the annual plan is called into question. I say this because the relevant sections of the executive committee have, as of now, almost “signed off” on the shortfalls at the housing construction enterprise, the railway region and some other enterprise. Why? We still have a third of the year ahead of us. If work proceeds at a faster pace, if people act more resourcefully to secure raw materials—especially by strengthening discipline and accountability (and this is how work must be done)—then every opportunity exists to eliminate the deficit and fulfill the plan. This is not merely a possibility. The experience accumulated over the years by the collectives of these enterprises themselves shows that shortfalls can be made up when the responsibilities of workers and managers are brought into harmony, and when tasks are fulfilled through daily discipline. correspondent for «Zëri i popullit»

At the Gramsh SMT. Turner Safet Brahili discusses with Lutfı Xhangolli the quality of their detailed production. (Photo: N. Xhufka)

Yesterday morning, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Comrade Adil Çarçani, received the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Tian Zengpei, at the seat of the Prime Minister's Office, and held a friendly conversation with him. He spoke about the ties of friendship between the Albanian and Chinese peoples and noted that in recent years relations between the People's Republic of Albania and the People's Republic of China have developed well, and that overall economic development and production are advancing rapidly. Comrade Adil Çarçani acquainted the Chinese guest with the measures taken in our country to facilitate and improve the democratization of society, to improve human rights and freedoms, as well as to amend legislation, implement the new economic mechanisms, adopt improved laws on foreign investment and establish joint enterprises, which create opportunities to increase cooperation between the two countries in the economic sphere. Speaking about Albania's foreign policy, which aims to preserve the country's freedom, independence and sovereignty, he noted Albania's cooperation in the processes of European development, security and cooperation, and its commitment to the policy of self-determination and efforts for a free and peaceful Europe. Comrade Adil Çarçani acquainted the Chinese guest with the measures taken in our country to facilitate and improve the democratization of society, to improve human rights and freedoms, to improve legislation, and to implement the new economic mechanisms. For his part, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Tian Zengpei thanked his hosts for the warm welcome and stressed that relations and exchanges between the two countries are growing. The meeting, which took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere, was attended by Sokrat Plaka, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of Albania, and Gu Maoxuan, China's ambassador in Tiranë. (ATSH)

Yesterday, official talks between Deputy Foreign Minister Sokrat Plaka and Deputy Foreign Minister Tian Zengpei concluded at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the talks, [unclear], Sokrat Plaka spoke about the positions of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania in the field of foreign policy, as well as the important measures recently taken toward further democratization of life in all spheres. The two sides also exchanged views on various issues relating to the current international situation, developments in Europe, the Balkans, etc. [The source text then becomes garbled and appears to continue with unrelated material: “and which kept us asleep, until the pipe-cutting equipment was put into operation; production of vehicle bulbs begins. Meanwhile, Bajram's work! Innovative work for years and no reward has been introduced. Now bulbs for [unclear], or festival bulbs, as Barjami calls them, are being tested and produced. We add that the pilot line will enter service in the autumn of next year. This line will employ 30 workers. These bulbs, connected in series, 16, at 220 volts and 25 watts, will decorate the premises of various institutions. Demand for them is great, from state organizations right down to individuals. At the new line for fine work, Natashe Ruci is working, a passionate and imaginative young woman. For the factory's 20th anniversary, she has [unclear] for the anniversary, is decorating her workspace and experimenting [with her work]. She says this work, and other technological work below, [unclear]. It fills me, in every [unclear] of value, and then [unclear], a tube is being produced. Through it, soon [unclear]. The factory, which will require at least [unclear], these too, and will also fulfill [unclear] diversity. Natasha came to the factory from the NR. She likes the work here; the technology inspires her. She has [unclear] and the determination to achieve it, they say of her. This is evident in what she produces with her own hands. A greenhouse for producing olive seedlings at the Olive Institute in Vlorë. The only one of its kind in the country, and one of the best in Europe. It is directed by Hysni Ismaili. Olive seedlings are produced here using a modern method, the most advanced that…”]

1. The electric lamp factory is one of the most advanced in the city of Vlorë. For years, it has had no production shortfalls. It has indeed passed its 20th anniversary. Year after year, its people have deepened its traditions and strengthened the standing of its managers and workers, from director Liliane Numani to the most junior employee. Over the years, the people have kept the factory from producing only lamps. The many items made here are the result of the work, dedication and experience of many workers and specialists—the best people, those with great devotion. Bajram Matjani is one of them at this factory. Small and slight in build, gray-haired, with a pleasant demeanor, he is 54 years old and in poor health for hard work; nevertheless, he continues working, applying himself with civic dedication to the task entrusted to him. He is a mechanic in the starter department. It has been 21 years since he took up his position in the starter department, where he carries out many kinds of work…

Friday, 24 August 1990 No. 202 (13 146) Price: 30 qindarka