The tasks in the economy are becoming increasingly demanding and complex. The fourth quarter, which brings to a close the year and the entire eighth five-year plan, is knocking at the door. We must pick up the pace, mobilize the necessary forces once again, and launch an all-out effort. Successes in the economy pave the way for the irreversible process of democratizing every aspect of the country’s life. This major objective, expressed through the new economic mechanism, multiplies responsibility all the way down to the production unit and every individual. Fulfilling the tasks on all fronts, as Comrade Ramiz Alia emphasized at his meeting with selected activists of social organizations, is the most concrete expression of political understanding and of meeting the situation head-on. The problem is especially acute if we consider the extraordinary difficulties of this year, with its prolonged droughts. But acknowledging this reality should not be understood as an excuse; rather, it imposes a greater new duty and calls for our people’s militancy to grow in order to overcome difficulties and multiply the pace of work. The difficulties were indeed caused by dry weather, but they will be overcome through greater effort and all-round savings, even through sacrifices. At every opportunity, and every hour, we must rack our brains to add even a little to the economic balance sheet: an opportunity, a new source of exports, an innovation. The drought has affected one of the basic sectors—energy—and has harmed work in many sectors of the economy. Agriculture has been affected, as has exports, which are inevitably linked to imports. This will be felt in output and profits. The economy is one whole, with closely interconnected links, therefore… …more active guidance and strict control are needed, as is the need to work out several solutions for every unforeseen event, with greater speed and a practical spirit. Organization can unlock great possibilities when people take initiative instead of waiting for every order and instruction from above. This is no time for promises that put no bread on the table, for delays and irregularities. Initiative, dynamism! This spirit must prevail in everyone’s work, from the centre to the grassroots. Concrete solutions are found close to the production fronts, as close as possible to the people and the problems of work. Viewed from afar, difficulties seem insurmountable. Party grassroots organizations in enterprises and cooperatives, Party committees in districts, institutions and ministries must be at the forefront of the work. There are certainly difficulties in supplying raw materials, in transport—which has become one of the weakest links in the economy—and in securing imports. The point is not to add subjective obstacles to real difficulties by placing responsibility outside ourselves. Among the measures for fulfilling the tasks as well as possible, we should single out working at a high pace. The ‘grade’ of productivity assesses everything. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that the pace of recent months has not met the urgent needs of the economy. There are shortfalls in construction, the mechanical industry and light industry; deficits in agriculture and exports. Many commitments to reduce the deficit have remained on paper. Only a few days separate us from the end of the quarter. We must pick up the pace so that we do not resort, as has often happened, to the ‘key’, the ‘miracle’ of the global plan, the ‘assault’ of the final days with… …not only by agricultural workers, but also by workers in communications, the food and light industries, mining and energy, so that they can support it as well as possible. The acute productivity problems present at every link cannot be solved with general, wholly uninspiring explanations: there is no energy, there are no tires, there are no raw materials. The new economic mechanism we are implementing does not provide ready-made solutions; on the contrary, these must be found within the enterprise, through general mobilization and coordination. Outside this way of thinking, the smooth functioning of economic processes cannot be envisaged. Intensive problems must be tackled with rapid, all-round action. Alongside increasing productivity, organized savings of raw materials and supplies are no less important to fulfilling the tasks. This is no time to spin out phrases on the matter; measures must be taken so that the spirit of thrift spreads everywhere and to everyone, becoming second nature to our people. Everyone’s hand should tremble when we know that every day more than 200 thousand dollars are paid for imported electricity alone. It is true that the new mechanism is awakening an interest previously unknown, while encouraging new work practices, but this does not mean that everything will happen of its own accord. People will become more aware, but first specialists must review technological specifications, estimates and budget accounts. What are we waiting for—an order from above? Everywhere there are excessive norms, impermissible wastage, over-norms, and goods with slow turnover. These phenomena call for management based on separate accounting, as in… with the enterprise and the direct interests of the workers and the state. Agriculture has just entered the major season for harvesting late crops. The higher the yield, the lower the losses and the more material goods on our market stalls. Higher yields in fertilization, and a more secure foundation for future planting. This must be the concern—not… port, an innovation. By affecting one of the basic branches, such as the energy sector, the drought has damaged affected, but so too have felt in output and in profits. The economy is a whole, with closely connected links; therefore, the work to reduce the worsening consequences must also be organized as a chain. Hence the question “What should be done?” must be posed insistently, with all the weight of concern demanded by the times. In those sectors affected by the consequences of the drought, everything possible must be done to fulfill and exceed production plans, so as to ease the losses in other sectors. New, tighter schedules are needed everywhere to respond to the circumstances that have arisen. Foremost is coordination— energy sector, the drought has damaged affected, but so too have the circumstances that have arisen. Foremost is coordination— dination. People will become more aware, but first the specialists must review the technological specifications, estimates and agricultural accounts. “Are we waiting for an order from above for this?” Everywhere there are norms being exceeded, impermissible waste, excessive consumption, and goods whose circulation should be stopped. These phenomena call for management with separate accounts, as a way of protecting the organization. There can be no stronger alarm signal for resolving them than the situation we are going through. Everything must be done quickly. The pencil must be sharpened well: how to use each minute productively, how to save and gain even a gram. Fulfilling our tasks is the test of the mobilization of every communist and cadre, right down to the worker. This is the best response to the concerns of the times.

The collective of the iron-nickel mine in Përrenjas is rightly called an innovative collective. With no failures to its name, it is at the forefront of workers’ collectives in the district of Librazhd. IN THE PHOTO: Miners from this mine after work. (Photo: G. Xhengo) The collective of the iron-nickel mine in Përrenjas is rightly called an innovative collective. With no failures to its name, it is at the forefront of workers’ collectives in the district of Librazhd. IN THE PHOTO: Miners from this mine after work. (Photo: G. Xhengo)

- MEMALIAJ - We could write about many innovators in Memaliaj, but we will focus on the work of Thoma Çami, who, at the head of the mechanical brigade, has carried out many valuable rationalizations. Let us describe one of them, completed five months ago. In one of the mine’s sections, one of the shaft elevators was damaged. What were they to do? Turn to imports? They considered this until master craftsman Thoma took the problem in hand. In a short time the elevator was ready. Now two elevators continue to operate in shaft 2, and it is difficult to tell them apart, even though one bears the mark of an imported product and the other of the innovative brigade. Among other things, this work saved the enterprise about 86 thousand lekë. The mine has a small team of 45 people who must keep more than 3,000 lamps ready for use around the clock. This is not simply a matter of maintenance, but of the innovative work being done to extend the service life of these imported devices. This year a group of specialists from the Selenicë mine came to Memaliaj, and one of them asked Jorgo Qirici, the person in charge of the lamp technicians in shaft sector No. 3, how long they used a lamp. “Up to ten years,” master Jorgo replied. This astonished the Selenicë specialist, whose team kept the same lamps in service for only three years. The specialists in Memaliaj have worked, and continue to work, hard to bring about this ‘surprise’. Among them, Selam Mullaj, Novruz Zenelit, Luan Shehu and Petrit Abedini stand out. They have made many replacement parts and modifications to extend the lamps’ service life. In two years they have saved about 160 thousand lekë.

- PATOS - Every producing well has its own deep-well pump, without which not a single litre of oil reaches the surface. But during operation it is affected by many factors, such as gas, water, sand, sulphur, etc., and as a result the pump wears out prematurely. The main part that gets damaged is the rod supporting the collar of the sucker-rod assembly. These number not in dozens but in thousands, and after repair they are discarded as scrap. Until now, they have been replaced with brand-new rods manufactured by the UMM of Qyteti Stalin. If we calculate the cost of just these parts taken out of service at the NNN of Marinza, the loss is 38 thousand lekë a year. To address this, the innovative specialists of this enterprise, Dhimitër Mile, Myrteza Çuka and Shyqyri Hodo, experimented and successfully put into operation a simple device that restores more than 1,500 sucker-rod assemblies to working condition, and dozens—but rather thousands—of parts which after repair are otherwise discarded as scrap. To replace them, brand-new rods manufactured by the UMM of Qyteti Stalin have been used until now. condition; it turns out that these losses would be 5–6 times greater for deep-well pumps. Sending them to the polishing shop brings an economic benefit of about 400 thousand lekë a year. There are possibilities for reconditioning them, as well as the pumps with new liners, without any drop in production. This encouraged the innovators to work on pumps with liners… MURAT MURATI

- BERAT - With only a few days left before September 11, Innovators’ Day, let us take stock. From September 11 last year until today, innovators have made 870 proposals, 650 of which have been implemented, while work continues on another 40 innovations. But this requires that September 11 be every day for the innovators, whereas some administrations, managers, specialists or professional committees remember them only once a year. As they told us at the BP of… …innovative work. What happened? In no enterprise was the decision made known either to the workers or to the innovative specialists, because it ‘sleeps’ in the drawers of the finance offices. Only rarely does one see portraits of innovators in enterprise emulation centres, pro-

- BERAT - the innovators, whereas some administrations, directors, As they told us at the district BP, in quite a few enterprises they did not know what work the innovators had done so far. The economic effectiveness of almost every kind of innovation was unknown. Why this indifference, or is it because this work brings fewer advantages? The result? The innovation movement proceeds amateurishly; bureaucratic practices damage the work, dampen its momentum and stifle creative thought. Here is another fact: on May 25 of this year, the Council of Ministers issued a decision on the use of funds for innovative work. What happened? In no enterprise was this decision made known to either the workers or innovators, or publicity about the value of their innovations, in enterprise emulation centres. Even when they are given material incentives, frequent obstacles and delays are imposed, and the incentives are not granted in accordance with the law, etc. Innovators disturb the comfort of certain managers, but not order and discipline. On the contrary, they are its standard-bearers, and therefore the sporadic way they are dealt with is out of step with the times. This is all the more true now that enterprises are preparing to move to the new economic mechanism.

The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party of Labour of Albania and Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Comrade Ramiz Alia, and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Comrade Adil Çarçani, sent the following congratulatory telegram to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kim Ir Sen, and the Chairman of the Administrative Council of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Jong Hyong Muk: «On the occasion of the national holiday, the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, it is a pleasure for us to send you our warm greetings and our best wishes to the Korean people. The Albanian people sincerely rejoice in the important successes the Korean people have achieved in strengthening the economy and further developing national culture, and wish them new and even greater victories in the country’s further progress and in realizing the national aspiration for the reunification of the Homeland. We express our conviction that the relations of friendship and cooperation between the PSR of Albania and the DPR of Korea will continue to develop, for the benefit of both our peoples. (ATA)

— INTERVIEW WITH IVZI ÇIPURI, HEAD OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS DEPARTMENT AT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH — - We believe we are also fulfilling readers’ wish to learn something about foreign relations in the field of health. What is the main focus of your work, and what has been achieved in concrete terms? - In recent years, the development of bilateral relations with other countries has increased considerably. The main focus is signing agreements, protocols or work plans with them for cooperation in the field of health. We have concluded official agreements between governments or ministries of health with Hungary, the FRG, Vietnam, Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria. We expect to sign the relevant documents with several other states, and in the meantime we are preparing new draft agreements to present to other parties. - What do these agreements cover? - The aim has been to include as many cooperative activities as possible in various areas of health. First and foremost, these concern healthcare for the population, the organization of health services, the exchange of experience and scientific information, the exchange of specialists for consultations, diagnosis and treatment of patients, matters relating to the training and specialization of personnel, cooperation in the production of and equipping health institutions with medical apparatus and instruments, the exchange of patients for diagnosis and medical treatment, and participation in conferences and scientific meetings of mutual interest, etc. - Could you illustrate how they are implemented in practice with a concrete example? For instance, the exchange of patients... - Yes. For several years now, our patients with complex cases have continued to be sent to Hungary. They have been treated at university clinics and other central clinics in Budapest. Hungarian patients also come to our country for climatotherapy (mainly for skin diseases). Each party covers the financial costs of the patients hosted by the other party. The same arrangement applies with the other states with which we have such agreements. Recently, we have also been arranging for individual foreign specialists to be invited to provide consultations, treatment or surgical interventions in cooperation with our specialists. In the future, we will further develop this practice by also inviting teams of doctors. - It would also be interesting to learn something about the relations you maintain with international health organizations. - We have very good relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and recently we have established links with the International Atomic Energy Agency (INATOMA). We are working to expand cooperation with other organizations as well. In recent years, we have signed two-year cooperation programmes with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. These provide, first and foremost, for support for our national health programme, which is also in line with the WHO strategy, “Health for All by the Year 2000.” More specifically, the current cooperation programme provides for WHO support for several specific objectives and tasks of our national programme, with funding for the specialization of our medical personnel, as well as the provision of a num-

Yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Trade, Shane Korbedi, held a cordial meeting with the delegation of the Senate of the United Mexican States, headed by Senator Alfredo Toski Fernandez de Lara. During the meeting, views were exchanged on cooperation between Albania and Mexico in various branches of the economy, and there was discussion of the progress of trade-exchange departments, the possibilities for their further expansion in the future, etc. Yesterday, the Mexicans also went to the «Enver Hoxha» University of Tirana, where they were received by its rector, Prof. Dr. Nikolla Konomi. He (Continued on page 4)

Yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Relis Malle, received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Finland to the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Jorma Inkli, in connection with the forthcoming presentation of his credentials to the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Comrade Ramiz Alla. (ATA)

From 12 to 14 September 1990, a meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of the Balkan states is being held in Bucharest. The meeting will review the implementation of the programme of activities for Balkan cooperation, as well as preparations for the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Balkan states, which will be held in Tirana in October this year. The Albanian delegation will provide information regarding these preparations. (ATA)

ON THE EVE OF SEPTEMBER 11, NOVATORS’ DAY