The whole country is living and working these days in the spirit of the 10th Plenum of the Party’s Central Committee. Its tasks and ideas further develop and comprehensively deepen the decisions of the 9th Plenum. The aim is, as comrade Ramiz Alia stressed in his programmatic speech, to increase the role of the masses, so that the people themselves become masters of the country and exercise their power and sovereignty in every field. This is a great principle of the Party, a precious lesson from comrade Enver Hoxha. The new tasks and horizons opening up embody the interests of the people and the homeland. They are of great theoretical and practical importance for today and for the future. This is why the people welcome them wholeheartedly, receiving them with revolutionary enthusiasm and optimism. They are expressing this concretely, not merely through expressions of solidarity, but through pledges to put them into practice. When we speak of democratizing life in the country, one important aspect is undoubtedly the implementation of the mass line in the economy. This is a fundamental objective now set by the Party. It is a matter of principle, but also a necessity for invigorating the motive forces of socialist production. Socialism creates the conditions for workers to participate actively not only in production, but also in the management of the economy. Material factors and the new relations created on the basis of common ownership make people committed and free to unleash inexhaustible energy for work and creativity, and to achieve high productivity in every field. The measures taken by the Party at recent plenums pave the way for these conditions and opportunities to be used with the greatest effectiveness: our human and material resources, our great wealth and valuable experience, and the human qualities and values created by socialism are to be advanced more rapidly, production and the economy are to grow, and the people’s material and cultural level is to rise. To increase the role and participation of the masses in this field, as the 10th Plenum emphasized, the level of the Party’s and mass organizations’ educational and persuasive work must be raised everywhere. But this work will bear fruit and secure the objectives sought only if it is coordinated with the operation of economic mechanisms. If we have had, and continue to have, failures to fulfill plans in particular enterprises and sectors; if there are shortcomings and breaches of labor and technological discipline, poor quality and low productivity; if raw materials and supplies are wasted, costs are high and unforeseen losses occur, in conflict with accumulation—then their causes must also be sought in the existing management mechanism and in the overemphasis on administrative management. It has fostered bureaucratism, laziness, equalitarianism, the tendency to take more from the state and society, contentment with little, and other obstructive phenomena. The new concept of management based on independent accounting corrects these tendencies and shortcomings by better encouraging and harmonizing the interests of the individual with those of the collective and society as a whole. The economic levers and methods to be applied will make every worker, cadre and specialist, and every management body, more committed and responsible for growth and development. Until now, fulfillment of the plan, increased production, productivity and product quality have not—Democratization and liberalization. The worker, cadre and specialist can no longer tolerate manifestations of indiscipline in themselves or in a comrade, nor shortages in material and technical supply or manifestations of delay. These will be laid at their door, and administrations, managers and directors will not be forgiven for shortcomings that disrupt the “account” of the worker, the enterprise and society as a whole. Thus, alongside rights, management based on independent accounting also adds duties and responsibilities to the foundation. Now the problems of material and technical supply, and the other quantitative and qualitative indicators of the plan, take on particular importance and weight. When the measure of work and remuneration is not simply the plan as a whole, and when the budget is no longer a “blanket” to cover shortcomings, the economic, technical and technological mechanism comes to the fore. These must be adapted to and accompany the work of the enterprise at every step. Every worker, not just the directorate and administration, must think about and be concerned with the effectiveness of investments, technology, the range and quality of production, whether it is sold or not, and so on. The accounts are no longer kept only by the plan and finance departments, but by everyone and each person individually. Whoever does this well will have a full “pocket.” The departments and executive committees, too, must fully assume the role assigned to them by the Plenum: seriously and skillfully addressing the development and formulation of policies, the strategy for technical and technological progress, and valuable studies and syntheses. This means revolutionizing working methods and abandoning routine and bureaucratization. The transition entails major qualitative changes in concept, method and work practice. As comrade Ramiz Alia emphasized, the issue is one of new standards of economic and moral conduct. Unless this is understood, the Plenum’s instructions deeply assimilated, and the Party’s objectives correctly grasped, these standards will not be learned and their effectiveness will not be what is required. In concretizing and implementing the tasks and guidelines set out, courage and restraint must be properly combined with economic reasoning and logic in deciding the steps to take and measures to adopt. This must guide economic thinking at every level, from enterprises and ministries to, in particular, the Planning Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank. The changes to be achieved will not be easy, nor will they happen in a day or a month. Nevertheless, this does not mean acting sluggishly or with delays. There are, and will be, difficulties; they are objective and subjective. Bureaucratism and outdated forms, as was said at the Plenum, are not easily eliminated or overcome. On the other hand, one must not think that introducing economic levers and methods has closed every avenue to harmful tendencies, which may take root as early as the drafting of plans “to be on the safe side,” as well as in other manifestations fed by petty-bourgeois psychology, indifference and liberalism. Through the Plenum, these manifestations must be brought to an end by establishing strict rules and standards; otherwise they become dangerous. Administrative management has, and will continue to have, its particular weight and role. The difficulties to be faced are compounded by those arising from the original solutions required. A number of steps, mostly experimental in nature, have been taken in moving to independent accounting, granting authority to the grassroots, and introducing forms of organization and remuneration, etc. The tasks set out by the 10th Plenum and the decisions to be taken on their basis by the relevant bodies have found prepared ground in the process of discussing and implementing the decisions of previous plenums. Thus, the masses are conscious and aware of the great political, ideological, economic and social importance of the changes required, and of their mission to put them into practice. The Party’s bodies and organizations, and communists first and foremost, have a duty to lead this phase of revolutionization by taking the forefront in the great and comprehensive work required. the common good make people take an interest and unleash within them that inexhaustible energy for work and creativity, for high productivity in every field. The measures adopted by the Party at its recent plenums open more effectively. By combating manifestations of bureaucratism and the excessive concentration of powers, by eliminating excesses in administrative management governed by rules, standards, orders and directives; by overcoming certain practices that have become taboo and been turned into theory, though their time has passed, the active thinking of the masses and the grass roots will be further revolutionized and revitalized. In this way, economic management, in accordance with the requirements of the objective laws of socialism, will gain the priority and weight it deserves. Its foundation will be the proper harmonization of interests at every level and in every form. A fundamental aim stands out in the decisions and tasks of the recent plenums: to identify and set in motion those mechanisms that ensure economic and social progress. They are a cornerstone of our social order. Therefore, the problem is to do this by using and of be applied make every worker, cadre and specialist, and every managerial body more interested and more responsible for growth and development. Until now, fulfilling the plan and increasing production, productivity and its efficiency have relied to a great extent on administrative demands and orders, on propaganda and agitation, sometimes stale and repetitive. These have their place and role, and it is the duty of Party bodies and organizations to use and improve them. But these forms have not always managed to strike at the “nerve,” because the economic interest in which all interests converge has been lacking. Consequently, they have not produced, and cannot produce, the results being sought. Management on the basis of independent accounting creates new relations. For someone who until yesterday might have been absent or breached labor discipline, casually exceeded the norms, or was unconcerned about whether raw materials arrived or whether the enterprise operated at a loss, and so on, the situation is now different. The workers’ material interest becomes a powerful force striking against indifference, bureaucrat- are given concrete expression in material value at the grass-roots level. This entails revolutionizing work methods and abandoning routine and bureaucratism. Transferring many tasks and responsibilities to the grass roots also requires cadres and specialists to be closer to them. The issue is to relieve the administrations in the districts and ministries of the superfluous tiers that foster bureaucratism and excessive administrative management. Although the Party has repeatedly drawn attention to this, the administrations have nonetheless grown. Intermediate tiers—responsible officials, directors, inspectors and various organizations—have multiplied. Reducing them will certainly not mean weakening management and control, but strengthening them through qualitative improvements in working methods and style. Management on the basis of independent accounting is not a simple transfer of powers and titles. On the contrary, Party bodies and organizations, Communists and cadres must first understand it themselves and make clear to the workers that it is requi-

Economic thinking is increasingly taking hold among workers, specialists and managers of enterprises in the Shkodër district, so that production activity may be as effective as possible. In fact, this work began some time ago, but in recent days, following the 10th Plenum, it has spread even more widely. This is why the enterprises’ net income from the beginning of the year until now has reached 103.4 percent of the target. There are 37 enterprises that have exceeded their net-income target by 5.4 million lekë. From 1 January until now, the plan for reducing expenses has been exceeded by 2.5 million lekë. Thirty-nine enterprises have fulfilled this task. Meanwhile, a number of enterprises have recorded reductions in expenses exceeding the targets they set themselves. The bus manufacturing plant reduced production costs by 300,000 lekë, while the meat-and-dairy collection and processing enterprise and the freight depot each reduced them by 250,000 lekë. A broader understanding of the tasks—fulfilling them not only as a whole but item by item, especially meeting contractual obligations—has had a positive effect on increasing the district’s economic efficiency. The indicator of production efficiency is increasingly coming to the fore. This is all the more evident now that excess net income earned by enterprises is being used to reward workers. Let us illustrate this with an example: the tobacco and cigarette factory alone has exceeded its net-income target by 2.5 million lekë. Thus, it will allocate more than 1.2 million lekë to reward its workers and improve working conditions. Work is also under way to reduce slow-moving goods, cut down and eliminate debtors, reduce fines and other interest owed to third parties, and prevent damage to and waste of raw and auxiliary materials, etc. In this way, the profit-and-loss account has come to the forefront of economic activity and has increased everyone’s responsibility for this work.

This year, according to the plan, the workers of the “Shoqëria puna” construction enterprise in Korçë are to complete 320 residential apartments, while the collective has pledged to complete 420. How is the work progressing? In a conversation with Koço Vani, head of the planning department at this enterprise, we learn that this important task is being pursued by concentrating resources and applying new forms of organization. For the masonry work on residential buildings Nos. 16 and 17 in the housing block in the sports area, the team of bricklayers worked under a piecework agreement. The results became apparent quickly. Each day, the construction norm was fulfilled at 152 percent. The piecework method has also been successfully applied on other work fronts, such as the construction of the white-line production line, the manufacture of metal formwork for making prestressed columns for industrial facilities, etc. Work is now under way to complete 160 residential apartments ahead of schedule during the current quarter. As an enterprise overall, for the period from the beginning of the year through 20 April, construction volume reached 101.2 percent of the target. However, the failure of other enterprises to meet their contractual obligations for the supply of materials is becoming an obstacle for the builders. Specifically, within the district, the Timber Enterprise has fulfilled only 35 percent of its contracted obligation for sawn timber since the beginning of the year, 42 percent for beech sawn timber, and 80 percent for beech construction timber. Is it possible not to let fulfillment of the timber-supply contract drag on? Without a doubt. This must be given due attention.

On the eve of the 1 May holiday, accompanied by the variety theater orchestra for three consecutive nights at the “Skampa” theater in the city of Elbasan, a national gathering of young amateur singers from the working class was held, organized by the General Council of the BPSH, the Committee for Culture and the Arts, the League of Writers and Artists, and the Executive Committee of the District People’s Council. At this gathering, 41 singers from all districts of the country warmly performed folk and light-music songs, songs of the Party and songs devoted to the dear and unforgettable leader, comrade Enver Hoxha, to the self-sacrificing work of the working class in achieving the established objectives, to our happy life, etc. Professional singers from the district also took part. On the third evening, 20 songs were performed by the best singers and were warmly received by workers from workplaces and production centers, people from the arts and culture, young men and women, etc. The jury, also taking into account the views of music lovers, awarded first prize to Pirro Pulici, a singer from the Korçë district and a worker at the “1 Maj” mine in Mborje-Drenovë, for his performance of the song “Këngë pa fund është rinia” (“Youth Is an Endless Song”). Second, third and encouragement prizes were also awarded. (ATSH)

Yesterday, the Albanian government delegation headed by Niko Gjyzari, chairman of the State Planning Commission, returned to the homeland. The delegation had participated in the proceedings of the second session of the Albanian-Bulgarian Joint Commission for Economic, Industrial and Technical Cooperation between the two countries. During his stay in Bulgaria, Niko Gjyzari also met with the chairman of Bulgaria’s Committee for Tourism, Stojan Zhulev, and discussed opportunities for exchanges and the development of tourism between the two countries. (ATSH)

A fact—a thought — They are opening up new land to secure the food supply for household livestock — Yesterday morning, a letter from members of the Peshkëpi agricultural cooperative arrived at the District Party Committee in Vlorë. In a letter, the cooperative members of this agricultural economy had discussed the new tasks facing them. In light of the specific conditions and in order to resolve the supply problem quickly and effectively, they decided that cooperative families would not assign any family member to look after their livestock; instead, during the day the animals would be grazed by neighborhood and stable groups, by experienced herdsmen such as Dino Zanaj and his comrades. The food supply from the rotation plots in the fields is being distributed among the families without a commission. When the discussion turned to the land to be given to families to secure the livestock’s food supply, it was said that people [?] should not proceed?

Hundreds of young men and women oil workers, as well as many pupils from schools in the city of Patos, organized an excursion a few days ago to the beautiful forest of Gjorgoz. At this activity, discussions were held about the patriotic traditions and the National Liberation War of the inhabitants of this area. A few days ago, the solo exhibition of painter Rakip Shabani opened in one of the halls of the fine arts gallery in the city of Vlorë. Thirty-two works of art are on display there, created by this painter using technological waste from acrylic. This is the painter’s 10th solo exhibition and the first to present his works of art.

The correspondent of the Albanian Telegraphic Agency asked the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the situation of the Albanian citizens, the Popaj brothers, who have been sheltered in the Italian Embassy in Tirana since 1985. The spokesperson stated: “The Albanian authorities have long since informed the Italian Embassy in Tirana that no charges have been brought against the Popajs and that they enjoy every right, like all other citizens. The Italian Embassy has also been informed that the Popaj brothers, if they wish, are free to leave the country, provided they obtain an Albanian passport and an exit visa. The procedures for leaving the country can be expedited and completed within one or two days after the Popajs submit a request to that effect.” This humanitarian solution, which is in keeping with sovereign rights and takes into account the interests of both countries, also serves to strengthen the spirit of friendship that exists in Albanian-Italian relations. (ATSH)

Among the most outstanding workers for productivity and quality in the mechanical workshop of the «Enver Hoxha» automobile and tractor plant in Tirana is Arben Memko. (Photo: N. Xhufka)