ELBASAN WORKERS ON STRIKE, THE ENTERPRISE IN QUESTION The strike at the Wood Processing Enterprise “Misto Mame” in Elbasan has entered its 8th day. The cause of the strike has been the non-payment of four months' wages, the failure to pay the year-end bonus, the failure to pay the 8.5 million lek reward from exports, as well as the failure to provide in-kind food for the workers' family members. “Another cause of the strike is the lack of raw materials. More than half of the workers, through this strike, are asking for work. Such a solution for the well-being of the workers and of the enterprise itself is unquestionably the swiftest possible privatization,” the strikers in the cultural hall where the strike is taking place told Zëri i Popullit. It is learned that yesterday the strikers were visited by the prefect of the Elbasan district, Mr. Lameshi, and the enterprise director, Mr. Gedushi. According to them, the non-payment of wages will continue until the 1994 accounts are completed. In Elbasan, other strikes in enterprises have also broken out before. Recently, such a strike was recorded at the brick factory. (Continues on page 2)

DURRËS 50 families warn of a hunger strike The owners of plots inhabited and occupied by illegal constructions have warned that they will begin a hunger strike if their demands are not resolved through legal channels. Thus, 50 families in the Durrës district have signed a petition addressed to the President of the Republic, the People's Assembly, and the justice authorities, denouncing the delays and injustices committed against them. They claim that they lost the land to the former owners, while their right to compensation has not been recognized either. In their petition, they ask that the conflict be resolved as soon as possible through legal means. (Continues on page 2)

Dr. Luan Hoxhaj, deputy doctor/chairman of the PPSSh in Gjirokastër in Mat: He asks in Mat: Dr. Luan Hoxhaj, deputy doctor/chairman of the PPSSh in Gjirokastër in Mat: He asks in Mat: The speed with which the market economic reform is carried out is not only a necessity, but also an essential precondition for the political force that supports it. In the broad sense, this reform encompasses the entire political and economic life of a country. The Socialist Party understands reform as a democratic process that favors individual initiative and the free encouragement of competition. It values pluralism as a major achievement of democracy. It considers private property the basis of the market economy and has proposed a package of measures to speed up the privatization process. The PS supports the reform of educational programs and new textbooks, the reform of the health system, aiming at specialized healthcare, a higher level and quality of service, the organization and proper functioning of social services, the improvement of law-enforcement institutions, and the further enrichment of parliamentary and political life. These and other points were stated at the electoral conference of the PPSSh in the Mat district. Further on, in the statement delivered by Dr. Luan Hoxhaj, deputy chairman of the PPSSh for Gjirokastër and head of its electoral штаб in Mat, he said that the chaos created up to now has been caused by certain political forces. The laws and institutions of the state must be strengthened so that political parties may serve the country's integration into Europe as well as possible. There must be more opportunities for workers and farmers through soft loans. There must be more foreign investment in the economy. These ideas and others were emphasized by Dr. Hoxhaj on behalf of the PPSSh Program. PPSSh Press and Information Office.

By Dr. Skënder Cani On Friday in Tirana, the Socialist Party released a statement through which it informs the public opinion and the entire electorate that it strongly supports its economic and financial program. It considers privatization and structural reform a necessity for the country's recovery. Its program aims at increasing production, encouraging investment, and improving the living conditions of the needy strata. It calls for transparency in the use of public funds and for strengthening financial discipline. In the banking sector, it seeks the creation of a modern credit system and better control over money circulation. (Continues on page 8)

By Dr. Skënder Cani The Socialist Party has drawn up an electoral program for reform in the industrial and financial sectors, starting from the country's difficult economic, structural, and financial situation. Consolidating the Albanian economy requires not only financial measures, but also a transformation of institutions and a strengthening of market mechanisms. The banking sector must be one of the main pillars of this transformation. Reform in the banks must aim at creating an efficient credit system, supporting production, and encouraging investment. Monetary governance must be careful, preserving the stability of the national currency and avoiding inflation. Banks must be oriented toward the real economy and not merely toward financing the deficit. A sound banking system is a condition for economic growth and an improvement in living conditions. (Continues on page 8)

Thus, within a short period, replacements have been made in the management posts of the Trade Bank, the Agricultural Bank, and the National Commercial Bank. These moves are linked to the reorganization of the banking system and to efforts to increase management efficiency. In some cases, the changes have been accompanied by debates over professionalism and political influence in appointments. According to newspaper sources, further moves are expected at various levels in this sector. (Continues on page 8)

Strike in a joint enterprise

Figure for the fixed: 96.8 percent with 3.2 percent Figure for the fixed: 96.8 percent with 3.2 percent

Novel by Nesim Toza After a few days, for the readers of the daily “Shkrimtari ynë”, the second part is presented. The writer Nesim Toza, a member of the constitutional wing of the League of Writers and Artists of Albania, has also taken part in many literary activities. After the personalization of Ali Shkoza, he had published extensively in the literary press, publishing novellas and short stories. In “Përudhosja” will be published in “Zëri i rinisë”, the free voice of literature, as in re-stin.