Update October 1999: Albania

During the quarter July-October 1999, several promotional activities took place in Albania.

• It was established a task force/steering committee with the participants of the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Pubic Economy and Privatization, Telecommunication Regulatory Entity, Alb-Telecom Company, as well as the NGO-s, involved in the ESIS project – Albania.
  
  This task force will follow the project development, as well as will contribute in the development of information society and high technology in the future.
  • In the first meeting of steering committee has been discussed a lot about the necessity of extending the information to all development sectors as well as about the current situation of information network in Albania. From this discussions came out several issues regarding the lack of coordination in the information delivering, as well as the lack of using the existing information sources. The lack of technology was identified as the primary issue in the current undeveloped infrastructure which is one of the most necessary elements in the extension of Internet network in many institutions and organizations.
  • There were also presented some projects undertaken by Ministry of Information and Ministry of Education and Science, to develop and extend the information network in these institutions, and furthermore in other districts.
  • It was also made a suggestion to establish a group of experts and consultants or an advisory organ, to assist the government/Council of Ministries, in designing the policies, especially long term policies or strategies, in order to avoid the provisory decisions made by a flexible administrate.
  • At the end, the steering committee designed the working plan for the next months, which consists in the designation of a special web site for ESIS project in which will be well presented the several materials regarding the activities developed in the frame of information society, launching of information society projects and follow their progress in the future.

• On an interaction forum of NGO-s, during 16 -17 September 1999 in Tirana International Hotel, the lack of Information was identified as major problem of NGO-s . Representative of Albanian Center for Economic Research introduced the ESIS project in this meeting, inviting all of them to participate in this project, if they would consider it as a way of improving the information network. The NGO-s need information both in negotiating with partners as well as coordinating the activities through homologues and foreign/domestic partners, donors, and so on regarding the use of the existing sources of information. So, the third sector (the sector of NGO-s is very sensible regarding the information.

• The establishment of 6 Internet Cafés during this period is a new development in the Albanian information society. These centers are located only in Tirana, but hopefully they will be extended even in the other districts of Albania. These centers are very useful for Albanians, especially the youth generation that is more found of the computerized society.

• The procedures for AMC privatization have been launched through the Internet to the 11 foreign strategic investors, in a special www site of Ministry of Public Economy and Privatization, with a special code/password, known only by them. This was the best way to be very transparent with all these investors as well as to inform them in the same time about the new developments on the privatization procedures of AMC.

• The ESIS II project has a prominent position in the Albanian IS promotion.