It sounds like an anecdote, something that recently happened at the «Enver» plant, but unfortunately it is not. The place of the anecdote is taken by a thought. One hears everywhere and nowhere that if our economy really is in a difficult situation, because of the shortage of foreign currency and raw materials, then the solution to everything is in our hands. What are these? Some call them internal forces, others reserves, others initiative, and in the end it does not matter what they are called. What matters is that instead of often using them and putting them into circulation, we lock them in a safe, padlock them and do not let them breathe. The task is how to free them from the rust of administration and obsolescence. At the «Enver» plant it had been decided to move a new lathe to a workshop. During transport, it was noticed that the place where it was to be installed had not yet been prepared. The lathe remained in the yard. Days and weeks passed. Someone said a project had to be made; another said the management had to approve it; a third said a commission was needed to see whether the place was suitable. Meanwhile, the machine stood covered with tarpaulins, as a living proof of what we call an outdated practice. No one bore responsibility, but everyone had a reason. Here the issue is not just one machine. It is about a way of working. About a psychology that fears decisions, that waits for the order and the paperwork, that gets tangled in its own links and loses time, energy and resources. Under new conditions, when the economy demands faster action, more rational organization, saving every hour of work and every material, we cannot go on with the same templates. There are enterprises where it is still believed that initiative must come only from above. There are managers who prefer not to move without being covered in papers. There are specialists who know the solution but do not say it, because «we do not want trouble». And so a simple task drags on, a small problem is inflated, and a procedure that could easily be shortened becomes an obstacle. Meanwhile production waits, the plan waits, the collective waits. We must understand that initiatives are not born in frozen ground. They require trust, competence, responsibility and a new spirit in work relations. Every manager must know how to distinguish between necessary order and pointless bureaucracy. Every link in the chain must account for the delays it causes. Every specialist must feel obliged to propose the best path and not hide behind habit. Today more than ever, we do not need pretty words about internal reserves, but concrete opening of the paths that turn them into production. It is not enough to repeat that we have possibilities; we must use them with courage and wisdom. Outdated practices do not disappear by themselves. They must be struck down in every office, in every workshop, in every mindset. Only then does the word about change gain real substance.

Scene from the boys and girls of mofia at Tovarises. (Photo: J. Xhixha) [?]

ATTENTION Not in every enterprise and economic organization is due care shown to securing and properly using material and financial resources. It is not everywhere understood that own accounting and economic self-management require strong discipline, continuous control and concrete responsibility. In today's conditions, when every loss, waste or neglect directly weighs on production results and income, control cannot be seen as a formal link. It is part of management itself, a means of knowing the real situation, uncovering shortcomings in time and taking improvement measures. Control must begin with planning and accompany the entire implementation process. It is not limited only to verifying figures at the end of the month or quarter. The implementation of standards, the use of raw materials, the operation of machinery, discipline at work, the safeguarding of socialist property, the accuracy of records and respect for contracts must be checked. Experience shows that where control is exercised seriously, with clear methods and a helpful spirit, the results are better. Where it is neglected or turned into a formality, ground is created for abuses, for inflated expenses, for delays and failures to meet targets. It is not enough to draw up reports; the conclusions must be followed through to the end and those responsible must be held to account. The strengthening of control's role is today a necessity. It is linked to reinforcing economic order, to making more effective use of material and monetary resources, and to educating a more responsible attitude toward duty. Only in this way does economic management with own accounting gain real substance and yield the fruits demanded by the times.