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ATCI: Albanian Times, 98-01-19
Albanian Times
Vol. IV, No. 3 January 19, 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Occidental, Partners Sign Contracts on Albania Oil and Gas
[02] Investments in Infrastructure, A Top Priority for 1998
[03] Cement Factories Idling, Future Uncertain
[04] Italian Minister Promises Seasonal Jobs for Albanians
[05] Foreign Debt Estimated at $700 m
[06] Phare and Cross Border Programs Reactivated in Vlora
[07] New Book by Young Albanian American Scientist
[08] Business Construction Thrives Along Major Highway
[09] New International Airport Terminal to Double Capacity
[10] Official Describes 16 Other Companies as Pyramid Schemes
[11] Private Schools in High Demand
[12] Officials Contemplate Establishing Catholic University
[13] Telekom has $230m Project
[14] Migration of Northern Population Towards Lowlands
[15] Albanian Exports in 1997
[16] Minister Talks on Relations with Islamic Bank
[17] Suspected Pyramid Scheme Signs Bitumen Contract.
[18] 11,000 Homeless Families in Tirana
[01] Occidental, Partners Sign Contracts on Albania Oil and Gas
LOS ANGELES, January 19 - Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: OXY)
announced that a group led by its subsidiary Occidental of Albania Ltd. has
signed production-sharing contracts with the National Petroleum Agency of
Albania for three blocks covering more than 1.1 million acres, according to
PR Newswire. Blocks A, 2 and 3 are located within the eastern portion of an
onshore fold and thrust belt where more than 500 million barrels of oil and
1 trillion cubic feet of gas have been discovered. Over the three-year
exploration period, Occidental will conduct a 650- kilometer seismic
program, perform geologic field studies and drill two exploratory wells.
Primary objectives of the exploration are thrust fault- related structures
in carbonate reservoirs that are geologically similar to recent multibillion-
barrel discoveries in the Apennine thrust belt area of southern Italy.
Occidental, with a 50 percent interest, is the operator for a group that
includes Anschutz Albania Corporation with a 30 percent interest and IPC
Albania Ltd. with a 20 percent interest.
[02] Investments in Infrastructure, A Top Priority for 1998
TIRANA, January 13 - Albanian officials said investments in roads, ports
and airports will be a top priority in 1998. The Minister of Public Affairs
and Transportation Gaqo Apostoli said his ministry commands a total of ECU
225 m for such investments A contract with "Sarantopoulos" and "Falcone" a
joint venture that has won a tender to construct the Durres-Rrogozhina road,
is expected to be signed soon. The venture is worth ECU 20m and will be
financed by EU's PHARE program. The construction is planned for to start by
the end of January. Other road projects expected to begin in the second and
the third quarter of this year are the Rrogozhina-Elbasan road (ECU 25m), a
segment of the Rrogozhina-Lushnja highway (ECU 20m) and the 23 km long
Durres-Vora highway (ECU 37m). The reconstruction of a ferry terminal in
Durres has also been planned to start this year. The $30 m project is
financed by PHARE, the European Bank, the Italian Government and the
Kuwaiti Fund.
[03] Cement Factories Idling, Future Uncertain
TIRANA, January 13 - Albania's cement factories, where the state owns a
stake, are searching for new foreign partners after previous contracts with
foreign companies fell through. Officials blame foreign companies for
failing to pay their share of the investment. Of 800,000 tons of cement
that Albanian factories produced annually, the remaining factories in Vlora,
Fushe-Kruja, Elbasan and Shkodra hardly turn out 200,000 tons per year. The
factories have been included in a new privatisation scheme but the process
cannot start unless the court decides on their disagreements with foreign
partners. Officials say priority will be given to strategic investors that
will introduce a development program necessary for the improvement of
production capabilities, the improvement of technology and environment
protection. The state's participation in the capital investments will be
negotiated by the partners.
[04] Italian Minister Promises Seasonal Jobs for Albanians
Tirana, January 12 - The Italian Labor Minister Tiziano Treu signed a
cooperation agreement in Tirana on the seasonal employment of Albanians in
Italy, professional training of staff, and the establishment of private
employment agencies in Albania, which will mediate for the employment of
Albanian citizens in Italy and other European countries. "The seasonal
employment will start by the beginning of March of this year," Treu said.
"In total, according to Treu, Italy has employed 15 000 foreigners a year,
while in 1998 the figure will grow to 20 000 and will include many
Albanians."
[05] Foreign Debt Estimated at $700 m
TIRANA, January 14 - A state commission dealing with Albania's foreign debt
has decided to start rescheduling negotiations, Finance Minister Arben
Malaj said. Albania's foreign debt is estimated at $700 m. The state budget
is expected to allocate about $28m to pay credit interests, the minister
said. Malaj said the rescheduling would enable the government to guarantee
without difficulty the liquidation of foreign debt. "We are going to
respect all the agreements and plans previously determined in the framework
of bilateral and multilateral agreements," the minister said.
[06] Phare and Cross Border Programs Reactivated in Vlora
VLORA, January 14 - European Union' PHARE and Cross Border programs have
partially resumed in the southern port city of Vlora with several
interrupted projects now underway, ATA said. An ECU 8m project for the
rehabilitation of the sewage and water systems, an ECU 15 m project for
transmission and measuring of the electricity, and an ECU17m project for
the rehabilitation of the drinking water distribution network have
restarted, according to city hall sources. An EU fund of ECU140,000 will be
used for repairs to the city streets and another ECU 400,000 project for
collecting garbage are also expected to start.
[07] New Book by Young Albanian American Scientist
Albert Lulushi, a young Albanian American computer scientist is contributing
to the worlwide computer users community with a new book. "Oracle Designer
2000," a Prentice Hall publication, is a complete reference of Designer/2000,
Oracle's suite of business modeling, system design, and software development
tools. The CD-ROM that accompanies the book, provides supporting software
which allows readers to work actively with the book, including over four
hours of ScreenCam movies that show how to use Designer/2000 for Windows 95
and Windows NT. An author with a proven track record, Lulushi's first book
appeared in 1996. "Developing Oracle Forms Applications" explains how to
apply object-oriented programming principles to Forms development. Lulushi
is a VA, USA resident and works for major computer companies.
[08] Business Construction Thrives Along Major Highway
TIRANA, January 14 - Construction is thriving along the Tirana-Durres
highway. A number of previously planned investments by local and foreign
businesses have resumed. They cover mainly the manufacturing and service
businesses. The Council of Territorial Adjustment (KRRT) is considering
about 18 applications by construction firms and investors demanding permits
for constructions sites. The agency has approved the construction of a
flour factory by an Albanian-Greek joint venture, estimated at $7m, a
cosmetics factory, a tapestry factory in the town of Kamza, and a garment
factory in Vaqarr.The application of an Albanian private firm to build a
quarry in the village of Tufina, northeast of Tirana, has been rejected for
environmental concerns.
[09] New International Airport Terminal to Double Capacity
TIRANA, January 13 - Albania's only international airport at Rinas is
expected to double its capacity when an expansion project ends next year,
the state owned Albtransport said. "The total value of the new terminal is
estimated at $35m," an Albtransport official said. The existing terminal
can only serve about 350 passengers a day. Two German companies, Siemens
and Lufthansa, have expressed interest in the construction project that
will be funded with a soft credit by the German development bank,
KfW.
[10] Official Describes 16 Other Companies as Pyramid Schemes
TIRANA - About 16 less known companies and individuals engaged in high
interest payments, thus acting as pyramid schemes, Koha Jone said. The
companies mainly operated in construction and brick manufacturing, the
paper said. There were also individuals who borrowed large sums from
ordinary people promising high returns. Faruding Arapi, head of a state
commission appointed to audit the "get-rich-quick" schemes insists that the
less known money borrowing companies should be treated like the other
pyramid schemes and audited alongside the other companies," he said.
"Deloitte & Touche" has started the auditing of the companies VEFA, Cenaj &
Co, Kamberi, Silva and M. Leka.
[11] Private Schools in High Demand
TIRANA - The Ministry of Education says there are about 3,000 children that
attend private schools and demand is increasing. The number of students
attending private high schools has reached 629. There are also three
colleges with a total of 635 students. Private schools employ about 125
teachers of whom 11 foreigners. Private schools offer the students subjects
not available in the ordinary schools, including computer science and
advanced foreign language learning. More than 32 demands to open private
schools have been presented to the Ministry of Education.
[12] Officials Contemplate Establishing Catholic University
TIRANA, January 15 - The Ministry of Education and Science is reviewing the
law of higher education to allow the development of private higher
education in Albania, and to enable the establishment of a Catholic
University in the country, ministry sources reported. High Albanian
officials during their visits in Rome and Vatican last year have been
presented with a proposal for establishing a Catholic University in
Albania. This proposal was first made to President Rexhep Meidani when he
visited the Pope. According to the proposal, the new school will be a
Liberal Arts University that would include departments of medicine, social
and natural sciences, business, engineering, and would be open to anyone
without regard to religious belief. A group of Italian experts is expected
to go to Albania to study the project.
[13] Telekom has $230m Project
TIRANA, January 16 - The Albanian Telekom will undergo a privatization
process expected to cost $230 million and to attract 220,000 suburban phone
subscribers until 2002. So far, a quarter of the financing has been secured,
Telekom officials say. A study on the extension of telephone network in the
rural areas is underway. Presence of strategic investors has been described
as crucial for the completion of the ambitious privatization project,
Telekom said. The privatization process will go through a number of phases
starting with an appraisal of Telekom and Albanian Mobile Communication's
assets respectively within the second and the first quarter of 1998. The
second phase will involve the location of the potential strategic
investors.
[14] Migration of Northern Population Towards Lowlands
PUKA, January 14 - There has been a gradual migration of the population
from northeastern areas of Albania to lowland zones over the recent years,
officials in Puka said. Over 400 families have left the northeastern
district of Puka and have moved towards lowland areas, including Tirana,
Durres, Lezha and Shkodra. Puka has limited arable land and remains
economically backward compared to the rest of the country. The Swiss
Foundation "Puka '95", active in the district since 1995, is trying to help
the northeastern zones to develop. The foundation has allocated to the
district about $2.8m in infrastructure development money, including
building of schools, health centers, roads, and bridges.
[15] Albanian Exports in 1997
TIRANA - Albania's exports in 1997 amount to Lek 2,185m, trade officials
said. Manufactured goods consisted mainly of textiles and shoes. Raw
materials occupied the the bulk of its exports. In 1997, Albania continued
to import edible oil and other foods. Food exports occupied a mere 13
percent in the total export figure. Minerals represented 26 percent of
total exports. Albania exports mainly to Italy and Greece followed by
Bulgaria and Germany. Exports to Italy amount to about 50 percent.
[16] Minister Talks on Relations with Islamic Bank
Albanian Minister of Trade and Tourism Shaqir Vukaj said his government is
interested in promoting economic relations with the Arab world. Vukaj, back
form a visit to Saudi Arabia, said the Albanian government has agreements
worth $22 m with the Islamic Development Bank. However, most of the
projects have not been implemented for technical reasons. The minister
warned the media against politicizing Albania's relations with the Islamic
Development Bank which has a branch in capital Tirana.
[17] Suspected Pyramid Scheme Signs Bitumen Contract.
TIRANA, January 17 - Silva and Co, one of the biggest money borrowing
companies, which is being auditioned by foreign experts, has signed a
contract with a Czech company, on the sale of about 500,000 tons of
bitumen. The sale would enable Silva to pay back its creditors. The Tirana
based company, offered monthly interest rates of eight percent to creditors,
but suspended operations a year ago when all money borrowing companies were
forced to halt their activities. The bitumen will be transported to Durres
port from the Selenica mine in the South.
[18] 11,000 Homeless Families in Tirana
TIRANA - There are about 11,000 homeless families in the Albanian capital,
Tirana city hall said. The Albanian government is trying to secure foreign
loans to help alleviate the problem. The Greek government has responded
with a credit of 5 billion Drachmas. The Bank of Albania is also trying to
establish a long-term credit system for housing purposes. <UL> </UL>
This material was reprinted with permission of AlbAmerica Trade and
Consulting International (ATCI). For more information on ATCI and the
Albanian Times, please write to AlbaTimes@aol.com.
Copyright © ATCI, 1998
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