Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama at a meeting to deepen the energy reform and to further facilitate customers’ liabilities:

 

Hello to everyone!

Let me tell you from the outset that I don’t see the results in the energy sector as a reason to be pleased, but as a motivation to do more.

There is no reason to be satisfied. If we look at the figures and facts of the changes in relation to where we started, definitely a colossal work has been made and the foundations of a state that works for the average people have been laid. But if we measure the results with your pocket, with the coffers of the average family, with the ambitions, desires and expectations of the parents for their children, then we are very far away. Therefore, we must work day and night with our head down in front of you.

All of your remember than when this reform started, its opponents shouted from the four corners of the earth “write off the arrears”. Had we written off the arrears since the first moment, the reform would have failed in one of the most important aspects of our project to make statehood. This because the ongoing facilitation of the energy customers wouldn’t be connected with their correctness to the statehood we want to make. The statehood we want to make, not for us but for our children. Not for us the rulers because if we were cynically concerned only with safeguarding our own interest, as our predecessors did for 20-somethinbg years, we’d better not have a statehood, than have one! When there is statehood, it draws the red line first of all to those who exercise power, and it creates equal opportunities face to the law for all of those who are powerless.

Today there are 453.000 customers who have entered agreements with the state, and are in a relation of reciprocity with the company. Customers who have signed the agreement respond to the company according to their liabilities, and the company returns and will keep returning them, thus alleviating the burden of the past, which is a shared burden. It’s not just the burden of the people who had millions to pay, but it’s also the burden of a power that doesn’t understand that that unpaid money was also a result of the fact that the state was missing, and that governments used to wink to the people in exchange of votes, and tell them “don’t pay for it, just give me your vote”. Eventually, the Albanian state was destroyed by them and went rotten.

Of course, if we look at the wounds that Albania still has, if we counted the wounds that Albanian families have today, there is no doubt that what remains still to be cured and healed is much more compared to what has been cured and healed. But I think that there is no reasonable person who can ask a government to transform day into night in 3-something years, in the sense of the wounds opened and deepened in 25 years.

You are witnesses to the fact that arrears have been zeroed for all pensioners who are head of the household, for all customers who have continued being correct towards the state, and didn’t do this on the first day the agreement was offered. They did it since the beginning and benefitted a little more. Those who did it later benefitted a little less compared to the former, but now they are relieved to know that the facilitation of arrears will continue.

Be assured that we are very aware also of the burden that was mentioned here by that lady.  It’s very heavy, although lighter than it used to be. Be assured that it will be even lighter for a very simple reason, because opportunities will be much greater. This is not a matter of wishes. If there is a person in Albania who would wish to have pensions and salaries raised further, to have all liabilities of the past zeroed since now, that person is me. But on the other hand this is connected to opportunities. The more all of us are, according to the weight, serious towards the state, the more the state will have the opportunity to be more attentive and social.

The state cannot be social because votes are needed. A social state cannot be built by delivering speeches against every reform and by poking the wound of the poorest and of those who have less, and tell them: “you’re in this situation because of those who are ruling today”. “Had it been for me”, X and Y say, “You’d have been in a far better situation”.

Actually, there is nothing X, Y and Z can do, that’s why they promise the world. All they want is have some votes and have their salary guaranteed, have their seat in parliament guaranteed, and make sure that they can keep minding their business, not yours. It is only us who mind your business and the business of all those who today need much more. Because we are here! Because we have a story! Because we have a book written over 25 years!

Why didn’t they do it before? They were here. All those who keep talking today and tell you how much you are suffering, how much pain you have, how much poor you are, how this and how that…, not only they were here, but they had the opportunity to show in deed how much they are concerned about you, and how much they do for you. But they didn’t!

The company has made a lot of progress, but it is still far from thoroughly fulfilling the obligation toward those who are now paying. I receive many messages from people who say: “you told us to pay. Where is the reward? Why do I have a power failure? Why have I received an unfair bill?”

They’re totally right. But it must also be understood that the whole facilitation is a result of the contributions. Those who paid, paid twice the amount until yesterday. They paid for energy, and they paid also taxes. Instead of building schools, hospitals, new roads, 150 million dollars would be spent to fill the hole that was opened and deepened every year due to theft and loss in the network. A distribution energy network which we found 80% old since the time of electrification. It was never replaced since the time electrification poles where set in Albania.

Of course there have been interruptions. But this year, although it was an exceptional year in terms of the climate, in terms of statistics and quantity, the cases of interruption have been the fewest in 26 years. This is not a consolation for those who suffer energy failure. There are still many problems in remote areas because the network is completely amortized. Wind is enough to put down a pole. We have to go there and repair it, etc. In this way we waste many hours.

On the other hand, the reading of bills remains still problematic. But who can say today that the fact that there are no more flat rates is not a fundamental change? Who can say today that the fact that bills are correct in 99% of the cases is not a fundamental change?

It is true that those who live abroad keep receiving the bills, although their houses are locked down. But this is because the system is not complete. It takes years to build an informal house. How much does it take to build a state that was turned into a territory where those who had the guts not to obey the law received benefits, and those who obeyed the law were trampled? Are three-something years enough? They cannot be enough. But this is not a justification.

I’m very much interested, constantly, in an ongoing improvement of the service. The project on the digital reading of bills has just been launched in Tirana, but this is related also with the population registration. What state is that that doesn’t know how many people it has, where they are? The Albanian state was never able in 25 years to count its people! This means that the state is not able to provide quality services to everybody wherever they are. This means that the bill is sent to somebody, even if this somebody doesn’t live there, etc.

Within this year, the reading of the bills will be carried out everywhere not by relying on the eyes and the pockets of those who read and write the bill based on bribery, but it will be carried out relying on how the computer reads them. We’re also working to determine an average consumption for all, and have the reading performed not every four months, but every 4 years. This means a very big facilitation, and also a severe blow against corruption by the system that is being built.

Then balancing will be made on the basis of the reading. If the average you have paid happens to be higher than what you have consumed, the amount of the next bill will be lower. If it is lower, you will pay more with the next bill. But everything will be computer-based.

It is very important to understand that at this pace we will be able to continue provide facilitations to those most in need. We will be able to provide facilitations to all those who have liabilities of the past. We will be able to move towards meeting the target of reducing VAT on energy. But this requires us to have the whole system built, controlled and controllable not only by us bit also by the citizens.

We’ve managed to have today debt under control, and have started to lower it, while we increase salaries, we increase pensions, and we increase investments. We were on the edge of the abyss in 2013. When we took the government in September, we risked not to be able to pay salaries and pensions in November and December. Because the policy of “wink at somebody, and don’t pay for energy”, “wink at somebody else, and don’t pay taxes”, “let them rob us for they give us their votes”, “let them smuggle goods for they fund our campaign”, etc. had put a noose around our neck. Then, where to find the money? Should we borrow it? It’s like a family the members of which say “we don’t have to work today, because one of us will gamble, another one will go for a ride, and another one will have a beer, while the head of the family is neck-deep in debt with neighbours. There comes a day, and the house goes down. This is how the Albania we inherited was.

Currently, we have been involved in a new National Program for “One billion” investments in road infrastructure, educational infrastructure and health infrastructure.

When we talk about pensioners, we must not forget that while pension is very important for them, the future of their grandchildren is the light of their life. The more we do for the grandchildren, the more we will do for their grandparents. The more we are committed towards you in terms of liabilities, the more the country of your grandchildren will be the Albania that you deserve due to your tough life and hard work for many decades, but which you couldn’t have for 1001 reasons.

Had we continued with the story we inherited, and had Albania continued with the politicians who tell Albanians what they like to hear, and refuse the bitter medicine of truth, your grandchildren also will be forced to live the way you lived unfortunately for all these years.

The program will allow us to make big investments, because we don’t need any longer to take the money of taxes to compensate for theft. We don’t need any longer to take the money of your contributions to cover the deep wounds and to cure cancer with aspirins, but we have every opportunity to address problems in view of thoroughly improving life in the years to come, by continuing to make statehood. This is the only way to have things improved for real.

The Justice Reform itself is not for us, in the sense of our interest. It is for you!

We don’t need a new justice simply for a few corrupt rulers who must be punished, but we need it first of all for every citizen who must receive the due justice, instead of being hit by the judge’s gavel because there was no money to pay for justice. Meanwhile, someone else bought justice through the judge. It is a fundamental reform in view of building statehood, and it goes through the Vetting.

The Vetting is neither for me nor for the American ambassador, or for the Attorney General, or for “X” or “Y”. The Vetting is for the ordinary people of this country, so that they can finally be rescued from the clutches of corrupt prosecutors and judges who suffocated this people for 25 years.

My friends, I heard many thanks here. Who doesn’t actually appreciate good words and thanks? But the truth is that you have no reason to thank me. You should be aware that if some things that were not done in 25 years are being done, these are the result of the sovereign decision of the majority of the people who gave us the mandate to make these radical though painful reforms. They are painful and have costs, but they are necessary.

On the other hand, they are a result of a simple fact that these reforms have a vision. This vision stems from the inner necessity of this company, since so many years, to give children a homeland that is rooted in well-being and not merely in the land. I assure you that we will do more.

On March 1 you will receive a higher pension. Those who contribute to the state will receive a higher pension. This will also affect those who work for private businesses. This will be related to a constant requirement according to which, if a pensioner or an employee is asked to be correct in terms of the payment of debts, those who earn more in this country, large entrepreneurs – who are the biggest beneficiaries from their work, but also due to the opportunities this country offers – they will pay their obligations up to the last penny.

We’re developing a new phase of our operation against informality.

We will not allow any penny that belongs to you, to our children, go in the pockets of those who have enriched as a result of evasion, of avoiding taxes, and due to informality.

Before the New Year, pensioners received 60 thousand ALL. It was an expression of the awareness that, despite we have had tried to do the best for them, no matter how much we do, it will never be enough for this state to meet the needs of pensioners as they deserve. But giving them 60 thousand ALL as never before, it’s of a fundamental importance for this to be seen as the fruit of this effort. By making statehood, we do more economy, and each of us is more involved in the growth of this economy. I do not want the year-end reward be reduced. I want it to remain the same, and in order for this to happen we must continue to be serious and correct in every obligation.

The message to all those who have arrears from the past toward the company, and who continue to pay dues correctly, is that sooner than later we will continue to facilitate them. They will be increasingly less a burden of the past, thanks to facilitations.

Many thanks!

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Deepening the energy reform and a further facilitation for the customers in need were discussed today at a meeting organized by the Ministry of Energy, with heads of institutions of the energy sector, experts in the field and citizens. The meeting was attended also by Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The results achieved in the energy reform and its deepening have enabled to continue alleviating customers’ liabilities, but also to increase investment for the modernization of the distribution network and customer service. Some of the citizens who attended the meeting told their personal experiences in dealing with the new OSHEE, which have enabled them to fulfil their legal obligation to the company, and on the other hand have alleviated the burden of their arrears over the years.

Bashkim Koci, a pensioner of the municipal unit no. 1 has a debt of 8 million 700 thousand [old] ALL to OSHEE. “I benefit 50% thanks to the zeroing. I’ll be always correct with the payments to the state”.

Ramazan Sita is another customer from Paskuqan, who belongs to the social group of disabled persons in Albania. He has benefited 7 million ALL from the facilitations provided by OSHEE. “We are happy, and have implemented the agreement with the company.”

Zenel Tresais another pensioner who has benefited 6.5 million [old] ALL thanks to the facilitations provided by the agreement with OSHEE. “I was in debt with OSHEE. We made an agreement, and my 6.5 million debt was written off. From now on we’ll pay regularly”.

“I had a debt of 9 million and a half ALL to the state. Following the agreement, 4 million and a half of my debt was written off, and I benefited 12 thousand ALL”, Flora Bizgjoni tells her story.