Albania to Benefit from USD 14 Million from the Kingdom of Spain Through
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ISSUE No. 20, Monthly E-briefing - July-August 2008 A Joint Effort of the Donor Technical Secretariat and the Department of Strategy and Donor Coordination www.keshilliministrave.al www.aidharmonisation.org.al Photo: Left to right: Minister of Public Works, Transport and Telecommunications Mr. Sokol Olldashi; UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Gulden Turkoz-Cosslett; Minister of Economy, Trade and Energy Mr. Genc Ruli signing programme on Economic Governance (Photo: UN Albania) Albania to benefit from USD In this issue • Albania to benefit from USD 14 million from the Kingdom of 14 million from the Kingdom of Spain Spain through Delivering as One UN • Two-Year Plan on Water On 24 July 2008 Prime Minister Sali protection. The UN joint programme Sector Reform Berisha, the Ambassador of Spain in on Youth, Employment and Migration • Consultation of the Strategy Albania and the United Nations Resident (3.3 million USD) aims to provide more on Public Administration Coordinator presided over the launch employment opportunities for young Reform of three new programmes under the people and better align national strategies “Delivering as One UN” pilot in Albania. on youth, employment and migration. • Three new credit agreements The three programmes are funded through between Albania and World the UNDP Spain Millennium Development In addition to the three new programmes, the Bank Goals (MDG) Achievement Fund. Kingdom of Spain has committed 1 million • First printed civil status USD a year for three years to the One UN certificates The three new UN joint programmes are Coherence Fund in support of the “Delivering in the areas of: Culture and Development as One UN” Programme in Albania. Spain • Albanians Voice Opinion on (3.3 million USD) aims to preserve, is also working with the World Health Local Government protect and promote Albania’s cultural Organization in Albania to support maternal • Doing Business in South East heritage. The UN joint programme on and child health reform (2 million USD). Europe 2008 Economic Governance (2.197 million USD) will support regulatory work in The Kingdom of Spain is a strong • Support to Vocational water and energy sectors and consumer supporter of UN reform worldwide. Education and Training 2 Albania and World Bank Sign Three Credit Agreements The World Bank considers Albania graduation from IDA a success story On 2 July 2008, the Government and the World Bank signed credit agreements for three World Bank financed projects, totalling 64.5 mill USD, which consist of: Improvement of the Secondary (regional) and Local (communal) Roads Project (20 Million USD) will improve access to essential services and economic markets, especially in rural areas. It will also improve the management, financing, and condition of secondary and local roads; Disaster Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Project (9.2 Million USD) will strengthen institutional capacities to reduce Albania’s vulnerability to Photo: Prime Minister Berisha and Minister of Public Works, Transport and telecommunications, Sokol Olldashi at the Public natural and man-made hazards and to limit Launch of the two-year plan of Water Supply and Sewerage Sector Reform human, economic, and financial losses due to these disasters; The Energy Community of Public Launch of the two-year central institutions, all local government South East Europe Adaptable Programme Loan plan of Water Supply and units and the donor community will (APL) Programme – APL 5 for Albania Dam Sewerage Sector Reform be involved in a process led by the Safety Project (35.3 million USD) contributes Minister of Public Works, Transports to safeguarding the major hydroelectric plants On 23 July 2008, Prime Minister Sali and Telecommunications, Sokol Olldashi. and to improve their operational efficiency Berisha launched the 2007-2009 Plan Prime Minister Berisha said that in 2008, and enhance the stability of power supply for for the Reform in Water Supply and capital investments in this sector had been regional electricity market. With the approval Sewerage Sector, after the transfer of estimated to have reached 7.5 billion lek, of these projects and signing of their respective joint stock water companies to local of which 3.3 billion lek came from the credit agreements, Albania marks the official government. In December 2007, all the state budget and 4.2 billion lek came from graduation from soft IDA credits (concessional water supply and sewer companies with donors. By 2010 the Government plans financing for very low income countries) into clear financial records were transferred to create wastewater treatment plants to IRBD loans (commercial financing for middle to local government. This reform is serve the needs of 1.6 million citizens. Due income countries). “The World Bank considers being undertaken for the first time and to this initiative, in co-operation with the this as a success story for our IDA lending it aims at the further decentralization donor community the Government signed because in just under two decades Albania and commercialization of water supply a 120 mill Euros commitment. For further has managed to advance from a low to middle and sewerage sector in order to enable information, please contact Sokol Olldashi,: income country with good progress on poverty self-financing of the companies to meet [email protected] or Ms. Enkelejda reduction and a sound foundation for continued consumer demands. Measures to support Patozi, Advisor to Prime Minister on Water growth and development, said Camille this reform focus on: legal, administrative, Issues, [email protected]. Nuamah, the World Bank Country Manager. project and funding initiatives. 20 Conference on and Consultation of the Strategy on Public Administration Reform The Department of Public Administration (DoPA) is completing the drafting process of the cross-cutting Strategy on Public Administration Reform as part of the National Strategy for Development and Integration. On 8 July 2008, the Department held a conference to discuss the draft Strategy. The event was chaired Photo: DoPA Director, Blerta Selenica, Minister of Interior Bujar Nishani, CoM General Secretary Gjergj Lezhja, SIGMA/CE representative, Fransisco Cardona and DSDC Director Albana Vokshi, at the Conference on Public Admin- istration Reform 8 July 2008 (Photo: DSDC) 3 from Minister of Interior, Bujar Nishani, the antenna of AECID in Albania and with the participation of the General representatives of the organization Secretary of Council of Ministers, Gjergj Regional Environmental Centre, visited the Lezhja, a representative of SIGMA/CE, area of Gerdec. During their visit, they held Fransisco Cardona, Department of Strategy a meeting with the Mayor of Vora, where and donor co-ordination (DSDC) Director, the consequences of the tragedy for local Albana Vokshi, and DoPA Director, Blerta inhabitants were discussed Ambassador Selenica. central government officials, Montobbio emphasized that the Spanish civil society, donor representatives Cooperation will support the rehabilitation attended the event. The meeting was of the environment and the development opened by Minister Nishani, followed by of the affected area. For this reason, it is a presentation on the link between NSDI foreseen that at the end of 2008 will a co- and reform on public administration by operation project will begin Post-Gerdec: Mrs Vokshi and a presentation of the draft support environmental remediation Caption: Printed civil status certificate, which was made possible due to the work of the Ministry of Interior, with support from the strategy by Ms Selenica. On 25 July 2008, and communities’ rehabilitation, signed OSCE Presence and Statistics Norway (Photo: EC Delegation). the Department hosted a round table on between the organization “Regional the draft Strategy chaired by Ms Selenica, Environmental Centre and AECID. The with the participation of donors, DSDC Project has three aims: the rehabilitation Albania starts issuing and DTS staff, experts from Institute for of the destroyed common public areas, the printed civil status Contemporary Studies, who are giving reforestation of the area by creating a forest expertise in drafting the strategy. The belt area around the zone of explosion, certificates meeting was opened by Deputy Minister, support to the schools to create awareness Ferdinand Poni, followed by a presentation of health and environmental issues, the The lack of a reliable, proper civil registry by Ms Selenica. The presentations were training of teaching staff and the creation system has been a long-acknowledged followed by a discussion and donors were of system waste collection and residues. hurdle to many developments in the given the chance to comment on the country. This issue is being addressed strategy and to send written comments. To within the framework of the CARDS find the final draft of the Strategy, please USAID Forum Promotes programme and has finally brought its first results. Owing to the 2.5 million Euro EU- click here. Dialogue between Vlora funded project, Technical Assistance to the Citizens and the Court Government of Albania on Modernization of Address and Civil Registration Systems, The Ambassador of Spain In July 2008, USAID’s Rule of Law further funds from the OSCE and the in Albania and the General Programme, in partnership with the Vlora United States Government, Albanians can District Court, held a community forum Coordinator of the Spanish now obtain more reliable, printed civil to promote dialogue between citizens Cooperation for the Balkans