Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 99-12-27

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Over 1000 police in Tirane streets during New Year's night

[02] Some 600 000 Lek allocated for 80th anniversary of capital's creation

[03] Exchange rates in Tirana

[04] Sports; 10 best sportsmen of 1999 proclaimed

[05] Priorities of development of tourism in 2000

[06] Credit for economy to increase during 2000

[07] High voltage pylon blown up in Gjirokaster

[08] Meidani awards Lasgush Poradec order "Honour of the Nation"

[09] Over 5 700 Albanian emigrants back for year's end holidays

[10] Meta says Shkoder will be government priority

[11] New Telecom building inaugurated in Shkoder

[12] Albanian children visit Council of Europe headquarters

[13] Moderates to declare platform, DP ignores it

[01] Over 1000 police in Tirane streets during New Year's night

The directory of Tirane police prefecture has prevented that approximately 1 000 police will be on duty during the New Year's night in the capital, the director of this police Mit'hat Avari reported on Monday.

"The majority part of them will be concentrated in the center of Tirane and along the main boulevard where hundreds of citizens are expected to celebrate together the arrival of the New Year, said Havari. He added that "the attention on protection of order and security will be concentrated even in other sectors and zones of the capital's outskirts".

According to him the police services will observe the institutions, road circulation and the locals where many citizens have booked their places to celebrate New Year.

Road police will block the traffic in "Skanderbeg" square in New Year's night. Several artistic activities will take part there for the wide audience. /A.A/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Some 600 000 Lek allocated for 80th anniversary of capital's creation

For this aim the town-hall municipality has approved even a fund of 600 000 Leks, sum which will be used on organization of activities such as the jubilee session, the settling of a commemorative decor, different publishment, exhibitions, a festive concert and others.

Tirane was proclaimed the capital of Albania by Lushnje government 80 years ago. /A.A/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Exchange rates in Tirana

Foreign currency exchange rates

Currency Buying Selling US$ 133,5 134

DM 69 69,3 ITL (1000) 69,5 69,7 GRD (100) 40,5 40,7 /led/A.A/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Sports; 10 best sportsmen of 1999 proclaimed

This year for the election of the best sportsmen have voted 35 journalists of daily papers, sports newspapers, televisions and radios.

In this way on the bases of the points gathered, the winners of the questionnaire "the best sportsmen of 1999" are as follows:

1. Ilir Kafaraj weight lifting 258 points 2. Alban Bushi football 201 points 3. Igli Tare football 116 points 4. Diana Mata shooting 116 points 5. Foto Strakosha football 116 points 6. Ndue Njebza wrestling 107 points 7. Altin Haxhi football 105 points 8. Besnik Musai bicycling 103 points 9. Rudi Vata football 99 points 10. Dorian Çollaku athletics 98 points

/A.A/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Priorities of development of tourism in 2000

The projects, mainly focused on Shkembi i Kavajes zone, envisage the construction of touristic villages, complexes and touristic hotels.

Some 95% of the investors of the 20 presented projects are Albanians who run private businesses. According to specialists, in this sector as well as in other sectors of the Albanian economy, the bank system should credit more the investors. "If the bank system was better orientated on giving credits for the development of tourism, then the number of the projects approved up to now would be two or three times higher", the chairman of the tourism committee Sherif Bundo said.

Foreign investments in tourism during the 1994-1999 period reach an amount of about $ 70 million. Some $ 150 million are ready to be financed in the zones of tourism priority, where the main part belongs to Albanian businessmen.

The law on tourism, offers fiscal facilities to foreign investitors such as the title person encouraged in tourism, customs exceptions, exception from the tax on the profit for five years and the reduce of the rent to 50% for investments in infrastructure. /led/so/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Credit for economy to increase during 2000

Nearly 35% of these credits will be in leks. In the meantime during 2000 the banks of the second level in Albania will no more have a credit limit. At first the utilization of this instrument was conditioned by the small number of banks in Albania, undeveloped markets of vouchers and the lack of supervision rules to control banks of the second level.

But in the last two years the limit of the credit for the banks of the second level was not realized. The limit of the credit for 1999 was defined at eight billion leks, but this level was not reached and until the end of the year it is expected to be realized at 1,5-2 billion leks.

Ten banks, out of 13 of the second level that make up the bank system in Albania, are engaged in the credit giving activity. /led/so/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] High voltage pylon blown up in Gjirokaster

The incident took place at around 17.30, on Kordhoce hill, between the two quarters of this village, where the pylon was blown up. It is the second time in three days that TNT is placed at the same pylon. After the first explosion the pylon was replaced with another. In only few hours the new pylon was blown up.

Sources from the district electric affiliation say that it is the pylon which supplies with electricity the Lazarat village and the whole region of Dropull.

A provisional metallic pylon will be installed to ensure electric power for the inhabitants of this zone for the New year holiday, the sources said. /led/lm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] Meidani awards Lasgush Poradec order "Honour of the Nation"

"For his precious contribution to the treasury of the great national poetry, for distinguished values which testify to the spiritual asset of the Albanian nation, as well as for the translation of the most renowned authors of the world classic literature", was the motivation of the order "Honour of the Nation".

The order was presented to the daughters of the poet at a ceremony organised by the Publishing House "Onufri", the Writers' League and the Academy of Arts.

Llazar Gusho, with the name of art Lasgush Poradeci, is the biggest poet of the Albanian lyrics. Born in Pogradec, where he also finished the elementary education, Gusho continued studies in Athens and Romania, to complete higher studies in Austria.

The poetical creativeness of Poradeci mainly belongs to the lyrical genre, which Poradeci has included in the volumes "The dance of stars", published in 1933 and "The star of heart", published in 1937.

Meanwhile Poradeci has provided a special contribution to the translation in the Albanian language of the works of the world renowned poets such as Heine, Pouchkine, Mayakovski and others. /led/lm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] Over 5 700 Albanian emigrants back for year's end holidays

Some 1 700 of them arrived early on Monday's morning by Greek urban services from Athens, Patras, Thessaloniki and other cities.

The police of Gjirokastra has taken all measures to facilitate the emigrants' passage through the border point and accompany them inside the Albanian territory, the above mentioned sources report.

According to them police services, to control and facilitate vehicles' movement, function in about 50 km of the national road, from Kakavija up to Subash bridge. "During these days has taken place only one accident, where in the vicinity of Jorgucat village, 10 km far from Kakavije, four "Benz" type cars have been damaged without claiming human lives", the sources report. /led/so/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] Meta says Shkoder will be government priority

"Shkoder will be one of the government priorities," said Meta, also mentioning attraction of foreign investments, the complete reconstruction of the roads linking this city with other parts of the country and other priorities.

Meta expressed the commitment of the government to developing the Shkoder region "as in this way we will give priority to the whole northwestern zone of the country, less developed because of border isolation".

"The Albanian government is holding talks with the Montenegrin government for the implementation of several projects of common interest," said Meta.

The projects include cleaning of the Shkoder lake, completion of the telephone connection with optical cables between the two countries, reopening of the Hani i Hotit border point, reactivation of the railway line which links Albania with Montenegro and with the international system as well as several other fields of mutual interest.

Borici and governor Shpuza familiarised the Premier with the problems facing this city today, such as unemployment, weak infrastructure and other problems. They appreciated the performance of the public order forces over the last five months which has now paved the way for the attraction of foreign investments also in this region. /led/lm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] New Telecom building inaugurated in Shkoder

The new building of the Telecom affiliation in the Shkoder city on which US$ 5 million, provided by the Albanian government and foreign donors, were spent, was inaugurated on Monday.

The inauguration ribbon of the new building of this affiliation was cut off.

The works for the construction of this new building were carried out by the local construction firm "Alfibau", while the apparatuses were assembled by Italian specialists of the renowned firm Alcatel and specialists of the Albanian telecom.

In his visit Meta was accompanied by Public Order Minister Spartak Poci and Minister of Economy and Privatisation Zef Preci. /led/lm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] Albanian children visit Council of Europe headquarters

The children from 12 different districts of Albania were winners of the national competition, organized by the Albanian Ministry of Education on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Council of Europe foundation.

During the five-day visit the children were received at a special meeting by the political director of CE Hans Peter Furrer, who stressed the care this pan-European organization dedicates to the new generation, especially to the education with democratic citizenship of the children from the countries new members of CE, of which Albania is a member as well.

Albanian children presented CE with a folk costume for children from the Northern mountainous areas, as well as an artistic work with the two- headed eagle, messages on behalf of all Albanian children and sang characteristic songs of their zones. /led/so/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] Moderates to declare platform, DP ignores it

"These persons, that is, the so-called moderates represent nothing for the DP, and many of the guests to this meeting have been previous DP members. Genc Pollo, himself, is at the moment suspended as DP member," the DP spokesman told ATA.

At the afternoon meeting, the moderates have invited all those who have been ousted or who have quit the DP, representatives of the Albanian opposition parties, and even the current DP leaders.

A realistic programme on respecting the freedom of speech within the party and other issues are expected to be discussed at the meeting.

The above deputies are called "moderates" within the DP for opposing the political line of this party.

Several days ago the parliamentary group of the Democratic party decided to replace the "moderates" Genc Pollo, Ylli Vejsiu, Ferdinand Xhaferri and Leonard Demi in the international parliamentary delegation, a decision which was rejected by the Secretary of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. /led/lm/

D'Arc Avenue 23, Tirana, Albania E-Mail:

From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ata

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article