- The only achievement of today's state in the economy is extortion and tax collection - On the one hand it promises part of the population that it will compensate for the increased price of bread, while on the other hand the government steals from the people by raising taxes - From now on, customs duty will also be paid on food products and raw materials brought in from producing countries! Where did the huge rift come from, with rivalry and unwarranted delays on the part of the government, preventing to this day the implementation of agreements between Italy and Albania in the field of aid and economic cooperation? It has been the senseless position of the Albanian government, which, wanting to monopolize everything included in Italian aid, has violated and continues arrogantly to violate every rule, every discipline and every obligation arising from these agreements. For a considerable time, for almost a year, the Albanian government did not approve a draft law that clearly divides responsibilities and guarantees the proper implementation of aid. Now, although it is exploiting and making a propaganda spectacle of some measures taken in the area of taxes and customs, the government has launched another blow against broad sections of the population. Significant increases are planned in the customs and fiscal system, which will directly burden food, raw materials, consumer goods and production. Instead of encouraging producers and the free market, new obstacles are being placed on the import of essential goods. According to the information we have, with the latest changes not only is the supply of the market not eased, but on the contrary, the list of goods that will be taxed with customs duties is being expanded. This means that the citizen will pay more for bread, oil, sugar and every necessary item of daily life. The government, on the one hand, speaks of compensation and social care; on the other hand it takes the very same money back through higher prices and taxes. This is the third time that the population has been hit in this way. After the previous price increases and other tightening measures, a new burden is now being prepared as well. Instead of building an economic policy that encourages production, savings, investment and fair competition, the government continues with quick fiscal measures aimed simply at filling the state coffers. The increase in customs taxes on food products and raw materials brought in from producing countries is an absurd move even from an economic point of view. It harms traders, hits domestic producers who need raw materials, and in the end impoverishes the consumer. The state cannot build its revenues on the daily fleecing of citizens. Instead, the government should fight smuggling, improve the tax and customs administration, and create favorable conditions for domestic production. But this requires work, fairness and competence, not noisy propaganda and hasty decisions that weigh on the weakest. In the end, this new package of measures also shows that the PD government has no real development strategy. It is trying to survive financially by shifting the burden onto the population. This policy is not reform; it is simply another form of fiscal fleecing.

Last night the delegation from the electricity sector held a meeting with government representatives, but according to their sources no concrete agreement was reached. The workers' representatives presented their demands regarding wages, working conditions and social guarantees, while the government side asked for time to examine them. According to information obtained on the spot, the talks were difficult and lengthy. The electricity-sector delegation insisted that without clear solutions there can be no normal return to work. They pointed to the sector's serious condition, the lack of investment and the insecurity created by recent administrative decisions. Meanwhile, sources close to the workers say that their position remains unchanged until concrete answers are received. On the other hand, government representatives have not issued any full public statement about the content of the meeting. VËZHGUESI

They say that Erblin was invited somewhere [ ? ] where there had been a literary activity. It is said that the discussion of the book was accompanied by strong tones, by rebuttals and by remarks about the artistic level. Instead of a calm, reasoned debate, everything took on the colors of a small provincial quarrel, where everyone wanted to have the last word. The author of the book, according to the participants, was not pleased with the way his work was treated. Some speakers questioned the value of the poems, while others defended the author's right to experiment. In the end, what remained was more noise than critical thought. CULTURE

By Musine Kokalari [?] For the wretched, things that were once taken as signs of a normal life have become almost part of everyday life. Poor families are increasing, children suffer from lack of food, while unemployment and insecurity force people to move hopelessly from one office to another. In many neighborhoods of the city, women wait for hours for symbolic aid, pensioners count their pennies, and young people waste time waiting for a job opportunity that never comes. Prices in the markets rise day by day. Bread, oil, sugar, rice — everything is becoming less and less affordable. The minimum wage and pensions barely suffice for part of the month. In these conditions, the word reform sounds empty to those who live at the edge of survival. Citizens feel that the burden of the transition is being borne by the same people over and over: workers, pensioners, the unemployed, large families. Poverty is no longer an exception, but is becoming a common picture of Albanian everyday life. PERSECUTION

I am compelled to dwell on a daily concern of the residents of our neighborhood. For a long time, water has been missing for hours on end, while the bills continue to arrive regularly, even heavier than before. It is unacceptable for citizens to pay for a service they do not receive. Often we are forced to carry water in buckets from distant places, while children and the elderly suffer most from this situation. No one gives exact explanations, no one takes responsibility. Only payment is demanded. If the institutions do not intervene quickly, dissatisfaction will grow. People need water, not promises and bills without service. Member of the executive committee of neighborhood people's council no. 11 Tirana, 13 July 1993

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IN AUSTRIA: TEKNE FULL OF ALBANIAN CLOTHING - Better to grab whatever you can find, the academics ask?

HOW 122 MILLION LEK CAN BE STOLEN FROM THE SWEAT OF THE PEOPLE (Experience from the PD-style privatization in Kuçovë)

The member of the executive committee of neighborhood people's council no. 11, Tirana, has sent the editorial office this concern, which we publish above. NOTICE