Groundless fuss by the newspaper “Koha Jonë”
-Clarification regarding the newspaper distribution contracts
Everything the newspaper “Koha Jonë” wrote yesterday under the name of E. Barçi about an economic agreement between “Zëri i Popullit” and the presidential newspaper “Albania” is untrue. Regarding the contracts signed by “Zëri i Popullit” for newspaper distribution in 1997, we wish to clarify to readers that they were signed after we had waited until 31 December for a response from the management of the press distribution agency “Koha Jonë”, with which we had a contractual relationship throughout 1996. After the state dismantled the state-owned press distribution enterprise, and faced with great difficulties in distributing the newspaper in the districts, at the beginning of last year we signed a contract with the agency “Koha Jonë”, which, in all fairness, should be said to have offered us advantageous transport rates (0.4 lekë for each newspaper transported). However, this did not last long, since after two months “Koha Jonë” unilaterally doubled its rates, and three months later imposed rates three times higher than the initial rate. Nevertheless, despite the unilateral increase in transport rates by the agency “Koha Jonë”, at the beginning of December (when contracts for the following year are signed) we were offered rates 7.5 times higher than when cooperation began—rates that were in practice unaffordable not only for “Zëri i Popullit”, but for any newspaper in Albania. Even so, we did not break with “Koha Jonë”, but repeatedly insisted on finding a rate acceptable to both parties, until we managed to agree on 1.3 lekë per copy transported. On this basis, we signed the contracts and sent them to the agency “Koha Jonë” on 5.12.1996, but they were not accepted or signed by the owner, N.Lesi, who raised the rate to 2 lekë per copy. Naturally, we did not agree to such an amount, but waited for a response, without ending our relationship, until 31 December 1996. And in the end, nothing. As the year was drawing to a close and contracts for 1997 had to be signed, we could not wait for N.Lesi, just as the other newspapers did not wait for him either. At that point, the agency “Albania Press” approached us with rates half as high. We have not signed an exclusive contract with it, but only for 18 percent of “Zëri i Popullit”’s current print run. “Zëri i Popullit” distributes the rest of the newspaper using its own vehicles. For readers’ information, on the two routes (specifically Tirana–Vlora and Tirana–Skrapar, which include all the urban centers in between), we distribute not only “Zëri i Popullit”, but also 15 other daily or periodical newspapers, including “Gazeta Shqiptare”, “Dita Informacion”, “Intervista”, “Albania”, “Rilindja”, “Sporti”, etc. Without wishing to address the emotional and political side of yesterday’s article in “Koha Jonë”, or to delve into the backgrounds of one newspaper or the other, we wish to clarify to readers that we have been, and continue to be, open to any kind of mutual cooperation with “Koha Jonë”, regardless of the debts, shortcomings or obligations it has internally. The market economy that newspapers have now entered is based primarily on the laws of supply and demand. This means there is no place for insinuations or jealousy stemming from a thirst for a monopoly on press distribution. “Koha Jonë” is welcome to discuss competitive rates with us, just as we are ready to offer it transport on routes where we have our own vehicles in operation, guaranteeing it the utmost reliability and seriousness. Therefore, the fuss being made about an “economic cooperation contract” baseless, especially since it is directed against the leadership of the PSSh, which has no authority to intervene in newspaper distribution.
Economic Department of the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit”