Albania’s Corruption Challenge, Fore’s Visit Highlights Opportunities for Reform
As part of a week-long tour in the region, USAID Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance Henrietta H. Fore made a two-day stop in Tirana, Albania on May 20-21, 2008. Her visit both celebrated Albania’s recent achievements and reinforced further measures needed in the country’s fight against corruption.
During her visit, Fore met with Albania’s top political leadership and participated in milestone events for both USAID’s Rule of Law Program and the Millennium Challenge Albania Threshold Program.
In her remarks at a signing ceremony between USAID and the Tirana Court of Appeals, Fore emphasized the need for Albania to address important justice reforms. “Now with the prospects of full NATO membership closer, Albania has an even greater opportunity not only to get serious about justice reform, but serious about regaining public trust in the courts,” she remarked.
While Albania celebrated its invitation to join NATO in Bucharest last month, the country continues to score poorly in domestic and internationally-conducted corruption surveys and reports, including the fourth annual USAID-funded Corruption in Albania Survey, Perceptions and Experience, published on May 7, which shows that most Albanians neither trust judges to render impartial decisions nor believe courts will punish offenders.
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| USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tirana Court of Appeals which outlines a program to help the court become more efficient and accountable. USAID's program will introduce such measures as audio records of court hearings, computerized case management, the publication of decisions, and strategic community outreach initiatives. The signing was witnessed by the Minister of Justice, Enkeljed Alibeaj, Deputy Chairman of the High Council of Justice, Kreshnik Spahiu, Chief Justice, Thimjo Kondi, U.S. Ambassador John L. Withers II and 17 judges from the appellate court. |
In a press conference during her visit, Fore praised the government’s commitment to tackling corruption, while also emphasizing the need to intensify its active anti-corruption efforts, particularly related to immunity and tougher government sanctions for lawbreakers, enforced by fair and apolitical trials and convictions. She also reiterated the statements of Ambassador John L. Withers II made at the release of the USAID survey earlier this month that emphasized the responsibility of all Albanians to demand the end of corruption.
Albania’s two-year, $13.85 Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Program, now its final months, has transformed Albania’s public administration for business registration, tax and public procurement systems through innovative information technology solutions. During her trip, Administrator Fore saw first-hand the bustling business registration center which has registered over 14,000 new businesses and assisted 50,000 others since opening in September 2007. She also participated in the inauguration of the National Agency for Information Society (NAIS).
Created in April 2007, NAIS will now serve as the coordinating body for such e-government services as e-registration of businesses, e-procurement and tax e-filing, all of which benefit businesses and the public at large. The U.S.-funded renovation of the Agency’s offices has created a state-of-the art work environment that safeguards private data while maximizing the ease of sharing of public information across government agencies.
Attending the event was Prime Minister Berisha, who committed his Government to expanding Albania’s e-governance to ensure public services operate with maximum efficiency and transparency. Administrator Fore, expressed satisfaction with the Agency’s start-up. “We see your Agency’s success as our assurance that reforms now underway – and the e-governance systems underpinning them -- will be sustained after our assistance ends,” she said.
Fore concluded her visit by meeting a group of businesspersons to discuss opportunities and challenges for investment in Albania.
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