Bankers: Security for the money. Thugs: No!
TV debate about banks
interviews - visits
Governor of the Bank of Albania says: Deposits are guaranteed
Klodi, invisible until last night to the police, a participant in the afternoon television program, acts tough with the residents of Tirana. Offended, he has not yet called himself a seller. Klodi promises that he will no longer use the same rhetoric toward Albanians. He was warned that in the popular program he would once again be invited to debate. Their avoidance led all the way to the formation of groups by hand. Governor of the BoA Shkëlqim Cani stated that the savings of bank depositors and of the savings-exchange offices will not be affected. He presented this conviction as an argument in the debate held last night on the RTSH nightly program, "Pro? apo Jo". In this public debate he said that "everyone is guaranteed that the money deposited in the bank is completely safe".
TIRANA: The people from the banks, as well as the Governor of the Bank of Albania who came to RTSH, dealt with a very sensitive issue: will Albanians' deposits be affected by crime? Invited to last night’s program, the governor of the Bank of Albania Shkëlqim Cani informed viewers that their deposits in banks are guaranteed. He stated this in a debate, where the invited guests were the well-known banker to RTSH viewers, the Director of the General Directorate of Police, Arben Rakipi, a banker from one of the private banks, the directors of the state banks, and the deputy Spartak Braho. In an hour and a half of discussion titled "Pro? apo Jo", the exchange was enlivened by strong repartee and a unanimous stance regarding the panic surrounding deposits, with arguments from both the banking side and the police side. The guests agreed that the best formula to guarantee deposits is the punishment of criminals. Those who fabricate panic over the banking crisis were also targeted here. For the authors of the panic, the Director General of Police Arben Rakipi said that "they are involved in crime". According to the bankers, including the Governor of the BoA, such panic about deposits was unfounded and a stronger message should be sent about it. Meanwhile, the public reactions on "Pro? apo Jo" also showed that consumers are hesitant in the absence of broad information. More women and pensioners joined the discussion; they noted "the fear of money being stolen" and demanded a solution from the state. Meanwhile, the police director stressed that all banks in the country are under control and that measures have been taken. He said this is not only a problem of the cities, but also of areas where a lot of cash circulates. It was further said that the police are pursuing those who spread panic. At the end of the program, the Governor of the Bank of Albania said that a clearer and calmer climate for deposits would be created.
(continued on pages 4-5)