Yesterday morning in Tirana, under the chairmanship of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Comrade Adil Çarçani, a meeting of the Council of Ministers was held, at which draft decisions, draft orders and draft laws were discussed, examined and approved in connection with implementing the tasks of the latest Plenums of the Party's Central Committee and of the 7th session of the 11th legislature of the People's Assembly, concerning the further improvement of the mechanism and economic levers, the rules, norms and criteria of planning, and the process of deepening socialist democracy. In connection with the draft decision “On the approval of the methodology for planning the economy and culture of the PSR of Albania and the powers of state and economic bodies regarding the headings of annual plan indicators,” members of the Government, in their discussions, made observations, debated and expressed views on further improving this methodology in accordance with the spirit of creativity, initiative and action of the masses, in order to use human potential, natural wealth and material-technical, financial and foreign-currency resources in a planned manner and with greater economic effectiveness, and to determine the scope of action of enterprises, cooperatives and their constituent units in drawing up and implementing realistic and mobilizing plans. They focused particularly on expanding enterprises' rights in the fields of production planning, investment and capital construction, transport, material-technical supply and distribution, exports and imports, labour indicators, finance, etc., giving greater priority to the use of economic methods rather than administrative ones. It was stressed that an important area in which the powers of enterprises and cooperatives are being expanded is material production, with the aim of creating fairer relations in applying the principle of democratic centralism alongside the initiative and action of the grassroots, making them more interested in fulfilling production targets and achieving economic effectiveness. The Council of Ministers approved the improved planning methodology, which fully corresponds to the new economic mechanism approved by the latest session of the People's Assembly. The meeting also discussed several improvements to orders and decisions of the Council of Ministers relating to the implementation of the law “On Enterprises,” and of the law “On the enterprise's own funds and their use,” under which, according to the draft, the enterprise will self-finance planned and unplanned investments, maintenance costs, working capital, as well as the creation of other funds. In order to give fuller effect to incentives for innovators and rationalizers, alongside increasing the amount of awards to authors, the draft decision submitted for this purpose provides that the enterprise itself will have the authority to examine and approve innovations or rationalizations. The draft decisions “On the further improvement of forms of work organization and remuneration,” “On compulsory insurance of state property, etc.,” and the draft orders “On certain amendments and improvements to the Council of Ministers' order ‘On bank credit’,” “On bank credit in freely convertible currency,” and “On monetary circulation and bank control over the wage fund,” etc., were discussed extensively and approved. The members of the Government also examined, discussed and approved the draft law “On the issuance of passports for travel abroad and the granting of visas,” which addresses issues concerning citizens' right to leave and enter the territory of the People's Republic of Albania. It stipulates that all citizens of the People's Republic of Albania have the right to leave and enter the territory of our country, provided they are issued a passport and the corresponding visa, except in cases provided for by law. (ATSH)

Reliability — a mark of progress — MIRDITË — On the desk of Ndue Gega, director of the Rubik plant, lies a record showing the fulfillment of the contract. Here is something we have often observed: monitoring production is never separated from implementing the contract. This has become a tradition, as many managers at enterprises in other districts acknowledge. At these plants, attention is paid not only to the range of products, but also to their packaging. After a careful inspection of quality and standards, production is dispatched on time to the receiving enterprises using the specified means, etc. But what if an enterprise suddenly has an urgent need and comes before the scheduled time? With the goodwill characteristic of the plant's managers, they try never to send it away empty-handed. It is precisely their reliability, their proper understanding of contractual obligations, that earns them nothing but respect. And, as we learn, there have been no cases of goods being returned or complaints being made. In this respect the plant has indeed set an example. — How many contracts do you have, and for what? — we asked. — Our enterprise has more than 100 contracts with various enterprises, almost throughout the Republic. We supply producers and enterprises with products such as refined copper for wire production, electrolytic copper, various grades of brass, copper sulphate, etc., — the director explained. It is striking that others respond to their reliability in kind. Here, too, they spoke highly of the Palaj mine in Shkodër (which supplies the factory with copper ore), the Spaç mine, etc. Isn't this good preparation for introducing the new economic mechanism? At the freight yard, speaking with Gjon Doda, the distribution economist, we learn that of the 27 contracts for the first quarter, 22 were fulfilled. Five enterprises encountered difficulties, including the one responsible for transporting the prefabricated products, the copper enterprise in Kurbnesh, etc. Here they also tell us about two companies: the first was soon hampered by irregular supplies of diesel, which resulted in the copper factories not being supplied. As for the second, the delays have been cleared up, and these are caused by various enterprises during loading and unloading. This is a problem that harms the economy. PAL MEHILLI

— PUKE — When we asked Rustem Brahja, director of the workers' supply enterprise in Fushë-Arës, about fulfillment of contracts, he immediately presented many facts: “With difficulty,” he says, “we manage to supply the vegetable outlets, because we had no contracts at all for vegetables in the first quarter of this year.” — Why? — we ask him. — Well, there are no contracts for vegetables within the district, and they won't let us contract outside the district. What are we supposed to do? We have been forced to intervene to obtain vegetables without contracts. So, during the first four months of this year, we obtained more than 2,000 quintals of vegetables from outside the district. Every day, two or three vehicles leave the workers' supply enterprise in different directions to bring vegetables for the town and the other sectors of the NFP. We say “in different directions” because, although they all leave the town by the same road, their exact destinations are unknown. Sometimes they end up in Durrës, sometimes in Shkodër, Tirana, Lezhë, etc. In the first quarter, it is true, there were no vegetables available within the district because of climatic conditions, but for the second quarter the contracts should have covered larger quantities. Here is one fact: while 2,000 quintals of vegetables were consumed in four months, the contract within the district for the second quarter was for 540 quintals (!). Thus, the concern is this: where will the NFP get its vegetables? They have found doors open at the “Perlat Rexhepia” Agricultural Enterprise and the Koplik Agricultural Cooperative in the district of Shkodër, at the Lezhë commercial enterprise and elsewhere, where they have obtained surplus produce. But the question arises: why are proper contracts not made—even with suppliers outside the district—when it is known that all the need for vegetables cannot be met here? And this is a recurring annual problem. Vegetables are obtained from outside the district, while no contracts are made. Now the retail outlets have plenty of vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, lettuce, spring onions, etc. This is a good thing, but they should not leave it to chance; by putting supply on a planned footing, it will have a definite source and be more abundant. GJON GJONI

— GRAMSH — Hysen Dollani, the head of the wood-processing enterprise's sector in Rove, raised, among other things, the problem of transporting timber. Although it has been felled to meet planned targets, it has remained in the forest and is at risk of rotting if the freight fleet does not fulfil the signed contract. “We have now suspended felling and are waiting,” he continues. But this is not the only sector where this is happening. In recent times transport has become a troubling problem for the wood-processing enterprise. Its director, Isuf Salla, took the matter to arbitration before the district's executive committee. His notice states that failure to observe the schedules agreed by both parties for the transport vehicles has left 1,053 tonnes of timber in the forest so far, in addition to the May plan. Worse still, this quantity of timber has been left over from the last quarter of 1989, a period which has... (Continued on page 2)

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Havier Perez De Kuelar, has sent a message to Comrade Ramiz Alia, which reads: “On my return to New York, I wish to express my sincere gratitude for the warm and generous reception that you were kind enough to extend to me, my wife and the members of my delegation during my first official visit to your country. Our conversations, which continued pleasantly during the reception that you were kind enough to host in my honour, gave me the unique opportunity to learn your assessment of the reform process currently under way in Albania and to understand your views on how you envisage its future. I am particularly grateful to you for informing me about the policy Albania has decided to pursue under your great leadership—a policy that can only serve world peace and will enable your country's ties with the United Nations to be strengthened even further. Renewing my warm thanks and wishing you every success in your noble mission, I ask you to accept, Mr President, the assurances of my highest consideration.” (ATSH)

Yesterday, the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers for cooperation in the field of agriculture and Minister of Agriculture, Pali Miska, received the delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of the Arab Republic of Egypt, headed by the First Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Prof. Mamdouh Sharaf Eldin, who is on an official and friendly visit to our country on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture. He was accompanied on this visit by Dr. Fadia Abou Nossier, Director of Livestock Products at the Ministry of Agriculture and Professor of Livestock Science at the University of Cairo. During the meeting, which took place in a friendly atmosphere, views were exchanged on the opportunities for further developing cooperation in agriculture between our two countries for their mutual benefit. During the Egyptian agricultural delegation's stay in our country, talks were held on giving concrete form to the cooperation tasks set out in the joint agricultural protocol. The Albanian side's talks were led by Sulejman Pepa, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Agriculture. The delegation visited research and scientific and cultural institutions, agricultural enterprises in the country, and the districts of Tirana, Sarandë, Durrës and Vlorë. (ATSH)

As part of the Balkan cooperation process, a meeting of the energy ministers of the Balkan states will be held in Tirana on 29–30 May 1990. The meeting will discuss opportunities for developing multilateral cooperation in the energy field. The proposals and recommendations of the participating countries concerning ways and forms of greater cooperation in various areas will also be examined, including industrial, technical and scientific cooperation in the energy sector; the creation of interconnected electric power systems; the use of new and renewable energy sources; and regional energy infrastructure in the Balkans, etc. (ATSH)

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the publication of the first issue of the newspaper “Llaiko Vima,” organ of the Democratic Front of Gjirokastër for the Greek minority, a meeting was held yesterday afternoon in one of the halls of the Party Committee of the Gjirokastër district. Also present were Mehmet Elezi, head of the press section in the apparatus of the Party's Central Committee, and other comrades. The meeting was opened by the chairwoman of the... (Continued on page 3)

A moment at work in the iron-nickel mine in Përrenjas. (Photo: L. Hoti - ATSH)

Reportage The day begins... A lathe starts moving, a new song begins, people get to work... I, in the forums of the leading organizations, finally reach the threshold of a success in many shades. The day begins, people start moving, they begin work. The day takes on our face. What do I give it, what do we all give it? I meet with my comrades, working people, and I see that this is a fine motive. — Genc Broholli, — An old issue. It is even worse that it is an old issue. A new issue should be improvement without confrontation, rapid changes. That isn't how things move forward, is it? For look at Arjan Thellimi, the technologist: the situation is not bad; on the contrary, at the dyeing factory the permitted limit of 60 percent has been exceeded, reaching over 80 percent. — All right, then, what is to be done? What do you propose? Removing the moisture and introducing controlled ventilation into the factory are not insignificant matters. I raised this at the meeting and undertook, together with other comrades, to find a definitive solution to removing the moisture in this factory. What is needed is to set up a simple installation. By joining our technical forces, we can do a lot of useful work to improve working conditions in the workshops and factories, which naturally will translate into better quality later. And Genci went on to explain an idea that seems useful to us: “With the creation of enterprises with their own accounts, a share of the profit, the net income, will be used for expansion, technological renewal, etc. All of this requires appropriate technical and scientific thinking and proper documentation for implementation. Should we wait for the institutes to provide ready-made projects and solutions? That is not only ineffective; it is impossible. But improvisation, empiricism, makeshift and partial solutions are also harmful; they mean wasting money all at once. Let us set up a research unit at district level—it does not matter what it is called—with several qualified engineers in the mechanical, electrical and technological fields, who will undertake studies and design projects for facilities at enterprises, etc.” (Continued on page 2)