Meta “zap”s the customs offices, collects USD 7 million

CUSTOMS AND TAXES, FEBRUARY 2000: MONEY COLLECTED LIKE NEVER BEFORE IN FIVE YEARS The boom - 3.4 billion lek Collected penny by penny at customs

VOICE NEWS

Myrteza Çაუძshi’s brother killed yesterday in Vlora 8

The new government is collecting more money

The new government is collecting the money that used to go into people’s pockets as bribes Taxes: 5.8 billion lek in revenue, or 1.4 billion lek more than planned, or 2.5 billion lek more than in the same two-month period last year SPECIAL SECTION PAGES 2–3 Customs revenue Two-month period ’99–2000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 January February Year 1999 Year 2000

Americans: Countries in the region, a barrier against drugs

The DEA arrives - the Americans against drugs A computerized system will soon be established to collect all drug-trafficking data across the region

Meta: We fight drug trafficking; let the neighbors do the same

Meetings with Italian anti-mafia senators Meta: Albania is a transit country for trafficking, and in this fight it must necessarily cooperate with all neighboring countries PAGES 6–7

Weather in Albania

Sunny today. The temperature ranges from 0–8° Celsius. Clouds will appear in the afternoon. Sun Temperature: 0 and 8° Celsius

Economy

EMPLOYMENT THIS YEAR The state will employ 15,000 people in 2000 PAGE 4 INFRASTRUCTURE 850 km of roads nearly ready by the end of December PAGE 5

In Myrteza Çaushi’s clutches

9 They shot at the police station in December; arrested yesterday Food basket: prices fall sharply 10 Berisha seeks a non-aggression pact with Pollo 11