Prime Minister Edi Rama at weekly meeting with coordinators and citizens who have joined online platform for co-governance with citizens entitled “Albania We Want”:
PM Rama: Thank you very much to everyone attending the today’s meeting after having solved their problem and concern and have joined us today at this weekly gathering to show that by addressing to the Co-Governance Platform with the ordinary citizens they succeeded after nearly losing all hope, or after experiencing tormenting delays and procrastination for a long time which unfortunately have been the main problem concerning people for so many years when it comes to the state offices and public service delivery.
I would like to thank you all for taking the trouble to attend this meeting and give accounts of your case that have been solved because this helps us a lot and provides us the opportunity to convey a direct message to all of those, who, just like you, need to tackle a problem and receive a reply over a certain concern, or have their problems solved yet remain reluctant and sceptical of this new practice, which represents a radical transformation of what for decades have served as the public relations offices into an instrument which makes the government and the public services available in the smartphone of each citizen, or provide every citizen the opportunity merely to access a computer and by doing so they will gain the support of the “most powerful friend”, the government itself, instead of hanging around and wasting time to look for middlemen, the help of a political party, or offer bribe in exchange of a service they are entitled to.
Likewise, by joining the platform you have addressed your personal or family problems, but you have also helped us to identify those who have stood in your way, because your trouble ends once you see your problem solved, but the case is not over. After that, an administrative investigation is launched to figure out whether such long delays have been related to corruption practices, or a result of practices of putting the citizens under pressure to force them offer bribes and once these are verified, immediate measures will be put in place. In this way, gradually, step by step we move towards cleaning and ridding the state administration of such individuals, raising also the awareness of those working in the public service offices to gradually understand that each citizen, regardless of his or her social status, regardless their age, is potentially someone who can remove them from their job, should they fail to really do their job.
Since today is the last day of an intensive governing year, since the majority of employees will have off from work and go on summer holidays, I would like to wholeheartedly appreciate all coordinators of the Co-Governance Platform, who are the pride of our public administration and are increasingly becoming not only highly motivated, but they also possess the needed experience and knowledge to assist the ordinary people.
I know that despite the two or three-week vacations, the Co-Governance Platform will function as it is not like every other office, because it is an office which is available online not only in the citizens’ pocket, but also to every household and office where there is a computer and which offer the opportunity to access a computer, just like it is available to every smartphone each coordinator. So it is job that can be done from any point and the quality of the coordination network is such that it guarantees that there will be no moment of fluctuation and that anyone who will to seek our help will immediately find it.
I will open the cycle of today’s accounts by presenting the case of a citizen, who, for 12 consecutive years has been trying to legalize his building since 2006. It took 12 years and finally, although quite sceptical – as he may admit – by addressing the Platform he has received the positive response he has been waiting for 12 years.
Flamur, co-ordinator of the Co-Governance Platform: I would like to introduce the case of a citizen from Vlora, named Nevruz Kaci, who had applied for the legalization of a household business facility since 2006 and had to wait 12 years for it. Even though he had won all the court cases, he had not managed to solve this problem. One day he changed the alternative and thought he should file his complaint with platform, seeing that many people were solving the issues in this way and addressed the Co-Governance Office in Vlora. He received a reply telling him that the legalization permit was ready within 10 days.
Mr. Nevruz Kaci: I have been totally persecuted since 2006. I have won the case in all court instances, but the Immovable Property Registration Office and the ALUIZNI have failed to enforce the court’s ruling. Everyone has stayed in my way trying to block enforcement of the court’s decisions. Finally, I decided to address to the Co-Governance Platform and I would like to wholeheartedly appreciate this office for whatever it has done as it makes things happen, telling no lies as I have been told so far. Therefore, I would like to express my appreciation to you Mr. Prime Minister for your just and fair approaches to provide and grant us the ordinary citizens the rights we are entitled to. Thank you very much!
PM Edi Rama: Everyone likes to be thanked and I would like to thank you for your appreciation, but again I want to reiterate – just like I do whenever receiving such appreciation – that the truth is that appreciation and thanksgiving for all these thousands of solutions that have been found in less than a year since the Platform was launched and became operational are a result of the vote to provide us the opportunity to wage a frontal war against a fundamental evil amid countless great evils we inherit for years, which is the evil well within the offices of public services for the citizens. I am pretty aware we are still very far from reaching the objective and the daily interaction with thousands of citizens, who are increasingly growing the number of those who have chosen to interact with us, and this is one of the ways to achieve the objective. A lot remains to be done. I am talking about the endless delays when it comes to granting the citizens the property deeds. We are talking about the endless delays in recognizing and granting the right to legalization, when such right has been won in court.
In September, we are ready to launch a reform we have been working on since last summer, when the new government was yet to be formed. It is a reform we have pledged for and it will see the existing relevant institutions merging into one to form the National Property Agency so that no one will be obliged to apply at ALUIZNI to receive the due legalization permit, but to have then their right to property denied by the Immovable Property Registration Office; so that no one will be forced to go to countless institutions, but a single common one. It will be a radical reform, which will rationalize the human resources currently available at these institutions and it will provide for a faster and effective progress towards modernization of these institutions and, within this very institution, it will also create an appellate structure so that the citizens are spared of hardship and obligation to immediately address to the court, but are provided the opportunity to appeal each decision within this institution and a decision be made by this autonomous structure, a sort of the citizens’ advocate within this institution. And, what perhaps most importantly, by the end of the second term in office we will hopefully ensure much greater ease, speed and transparency in issuing ownership titles through a special digitized program.
I’d invite Drita to present another case, which actually originates from a SMS I have received, if not wrong, while at a meeting under the public accountability campaign, when I met the son of a teacher, who voiced his concern that his father risked losing his job for taking an objective and critical approach towards the school headmaster. I asked this young man to forward all arguments over this case and I suggested him to file the complaint with the Platform. It was a case for me to see the effectiveness in solving the matter. So the Platform is not a controlled instrument, which functions according to my desire and will, or according to the desire of each cabinet member, but it is a tool which operates according to the needs of each citizen. Being a digital and transparent instrument, from the moment a complaint is filed with the Platform, the whole process is monitored closely to find out whether one of the links in this process fails to work. If it is the relevant minister or the Ministry’s administration the one to fail, then it is something that can be easily understood.
Drita, Co-Governance Office coordinator: Mr. Jorgaq Spirollari is a teacher from the town of Pogradec. Mr. Spirollari voiced via the Platform his concern over the abuse with office and mismanagement of “Muharrem Çollaku” school in Pogradec. The school officials, by violating the law, had imposed binding tariffs on each school service that should be delivered free of charge. Students were forced to pay a fixed fee in order to register and withdraw the school leaving certificate, marks statement and other simple services. Moreover, the revenue collected from this fee was not used to fund the school needs. As soon as the complaint was filed with the Co-Governance Platform, the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth set up a working group, who verified the case on the ground and inspected “Muharrem Çollaku” school in Pogradec and after a verification process of the entire documentation and the applied procedures the group found all wrongdoings. Therefore, the head-teacher was sacked while disciplinary proceedings were launched against her and an official at the Regional Education Directorate.
Mr Jorgaq Spirollari: Greetings! Everything Mrs. Drita said is true. Thank you Mr. Prime Minister for opening this window of opportunity for the citizens and Albanian society as a whole, making us optimistic and giving us confidence and patience to do good things.
PM Edi Rama: I would like to underline that the case forwarded by this gentleman is quite significant to all school teachers across the country, who enjoy a status they don’t have to worry about their job position as the story of dismissing teachers from their job and naming them on political grounds is now over. Now there is a portal which has become an instrument based on a legal obligation by the Assembly of Albania, which guarantees the transparency of the test and recruitment process of teachers. Recruitment has been digitized and the testing process has been digitized to. So we are today in completely a different situation. However, there is still a serious problem with the school management capacities, with school principals who are not doing the job properly. To this end, we will launch the implementation of the Education Directors School in autumn, but on the other hand it is indispensable to listen to the teachers’ complaints. I am making a parenthesis. We should not forget that the pupils, the parents and teachers in this country have been finally relieved of a perennial burden of school work and learning overload just because a group of teachers addressed to the Platform to table their idea on teaching “three subjects during six class hours.” The idea was forwarded by the teachers themselves, while the Ministry of Education and other government structures had been developing projects and strategies but failing to find a reasonable solution as if it was the Columbus’ egg.
On the other hand, the case of the Pogradec teacher is a significant example of our readiness to handle and provide real time solution to every complaint or concern raised by a citizen, either it be a personal concern or a problem that concerns entire community he or she works and lives. I understand all those who complain, criticize, curse, fall in despair because they face unworthy people who represent the state, but do not understand those who do not raise their voice, while being given the opportunity to raise their voice in three minutes only. They should not waste time to curse and make derogatory comments on Facebook, but file the complaint with the government. If he was to choose not to raise his voice, the teacher from Progradec would have not been removed from his job. It is that simple. While the school principle would have continued abusing with office and other teachers would have learned a lesson; whoever raises the voice against me will be fired. This is the reason why whenever the citizens address messages to me, in most of the cases the reply consists of a single sentence: file the complaint with the online platform the Albania We Want.
This answer is not to shun them, but to lead them to the right address they should knock on. It takes just three minutes! If I were to personally deal with the complaint filed by a citizen, the first thing I would is calling the relevant official, asking him to solve the problem. This is what we have done for four years now. This is what the others have done for 25 consecutive years. It has failed to work. The Public Relations Department at the Prime Minister’s Office has failed, because the government and entire state cannot work on phone calls.
This is a new innovative system of public relations and public relations offices, which today are in another relationship because the citizen has the power to engage and commit the cabinet member himself to provide a due response to the citizens’ complaints.
Earlier today we held the regular cabinet meeting and the Co-Governance with the Citizens Platform was, as always, the final topic to discuss on; how our coalition with the citizens is working? Which are the results and problems solved via the Platform during this week; How many responses have been provided to the citizens. How many responsible administration employees have been punished? Each cabinet member provides answers in person for each of these questions.
The next case has again to do with ALUIZNI and this time even worse. But one should note that during our first term in office, ALUIZNI has done about legalization of illegal buildings more than it has been done over the past 20 years. It has been an extraordinary work, but we still face same problems. If we were to turn our heads back, there is nothing to compare with. If we were to look forward and match to what we aim for in the future, we are still far behind. I invite Florian to introduce this case.
Florian, coordinator of the Co-Governance Office: The case I am about to introduce is another case of failed legalization and it involves Ismail Hajrullahu. He had filed the self-declaration for his illegal dwelling since 2005 and had received no reply over all these years. At the height of the desperation, he tried and dared to express his complaint to the Co-Governance Platform and within a few days from filing the complaint, he was informed of the good news and received the legalization permit.
Mr. Gentjan Hajrullahu: We started the legalization procedures since 2005 and since then it was thanks to the co-governance portal that we received the due legalization permit within four days. If we were not to file our complaint with the Platform, I have to admit that my father was really sceptical, we wouldn’t have received the document. I would like to appreciate the government and Mr. Prime Minister for this. Thank you very much!
PM Edi Rama: I won’t go over the thanksgiving thing, but it is really a pleasure to see the government contributing towards solving these “petty problems.” Small or invisible at all, if viewed as outsider, but serious and shocking if you get under their skin, just like your father’s case, who have been living under such a terrible distress since 2005. I would like to thank you because you might have chosen not to attend the today’s meeting since you have already solved your problem now. But by attending and presenting your case you are helping the others, who are also sceptical just like your father is and disappointed for many years and quite rightly might say this is a joke just like it has always been in this country for around 30 years. In this way you can help the others to take this step which takes no efforts and doesn’t cost a thing, and after all it takes nothing but three minutes only to write down the message or complaint and forward it. And it is surprisingly solved. It usually takes 10 days which is the final deadline. It may take a little bit longer, when it comes to more complex problems, but they are always addressed accordingly. This is the truth. Of course there are cases when the reply provided by the Platform is a negative one because the Platform doesn’t act as a court. The issues that should be handled by the court they should be addressed by the court only. That’s why the vetting process is underway. That’s why the palace of justice is being cleaned, so that the courts are no longer a nightmare but the invincible shoulders for every ordinary citizen and family to lean on.
Katerina, Co-Governance Office coordinator: The most recent case amid the voluminous work handled by the Ministry of Justice and the relevant coordinators is that of Mr. Bledar Koxheri, who, after being granted the legalization permit back in 2016, he had applied for the due property ownership certificate with the regional Immovable Property Registration Office. For over a year he used to regularly apply with the Tirana Property Registration Office, but his efforts were in vain, even after failed attempts for personal contacts and arrangements. Eventually, he decided to address the Platform and today he is with us and he has received the property ownership certificate along with his sister as they are co-owners of the legalized building. I would like to invite Bledar and share his positive experience with us.
Mr. Bledar Koxheri: Greetings everyone! I had received the legalization permit and for over a year I applied with the Property Registration Office, but my efforts were in vain. My wife then applied with the Co-Governance Platform and in ten days only we received the due property ownership title.
PM Edi Rama: This is the case to reiterate what I said earlier, “ALUIZNI issues the legalization document, but the Property Registration Office refuses to do so.” Therefore, a systemic response is needed. The reform we have already drafted and we plan to kick off in early September will finally address the matter as it will merge all existing directorates and offices into one single institution.
The next case is that of a citizen who couldn’t close down her business. I would invite Juela to present the case.
Juela, Co-Governance Office coordinator: I am here to present the case of Silvana Mëhillaj, who, after completing the business closure procedures at the National Business Registration Centre in line with the legal procedures, she failed to close down the business due to the fines imposed by the General Taxation Directorate three months after the launch of the procedures. Therefore, she filed a complaint with the Regional Taxation Directorate in Tirana, but no response provided. Then, fully confident, she decided to address to the Co-Governance Platform, and this time successfully as the General Taxation Directorate verified the case and found out that fines were imposed unjustly. The problem was solved within three days and the fines have been already canceled.
Mrs. Silvana Mëhillaj: Greetings! I am Silvana from Tirana. In December 2017, I applied with the National Business Registration Centre to deregister my business for personal reasons, but in the first quarter of 2018, thinking that everything now was over, I happened to receive a notification about the fines imposed by the taxation officials. I filed a complaint with the Regional Taxation Directorate, but they provided no response at all. With my husband’s help, we accessed the co-governance with the citizens portal and the case was solved quickly. I had never thought it will take only few days and so little efforts to tackle the case. I am really surprised. This was the first time I applied with the Platform. I would like to thank the Prime Minister and the co-governance coordinators.
PM Edi Rama: Thank you very much! I This is a typical case when you could well have chosen not to join us, but just curse everyone for what you have gone through. But by joining us at this meeting you are helping the others to see and understand the simple truth that the platform works not only to deal with the bureaucratic procedures and deliver services to citizens, individuals and households, but to the business community too. Despite the great changes, the business community faces many real difficulties and problems. However, the business faces also some invented problems, just like the one we were introduced with right now and which has nothing to do with the individual who suddenly finds himself or herself in trouble. Your case has been solved and the administrative investigation into those responsible is underway and I want to assure you that whoever this person is, or whoever has indifferently ignored your plight will soon undergo the whole process of administrative penalties.
At each of these weekly meetings, the Co-Governance Office coordinators have presented the cases of many retired people, who often face problems with the pension benefit calculation and elements of their relation with the Social Insurance Institute. Today we will learn about two cases which will be introduced by Entela. I would like to thank them for attending the meeting and sharing their cases with us, because we need to make public these cases in order for the retired people and their children, who may help them to join the platform, because we are well aware of this problem and we are ready to address it.
Entela, Co-Governance Office coordinator: The countless solved cases at the Ministry of Finance and Economy include that of Mr. Petrit Hamzallari, who is with us today. Back in November 2017, Mr. Hamzallari had filed an application for the calculation of the pension benefit with the Regional Social Insurance Directorate in Tirana and since then he had been entitled a partially pension payment, since the Social Insurance Directorate had refused to take into account a period of his contribution in social insurance. After Mr. Hamzallari joined the Co-Governance Platform, Mr. Hamzallari’s complaint was processed, finally including the social insurance contributions he has paid for a period of six years and a month. The monthly pension benefit has now increased.
Mr. Petrit Hamzallari: I felt always overcome with a sense of embarrassment anytime I entered a state office where an oriental culture of lies prevails. I was used to because I have been a public administration employee. After two or three months I was deeply disappointed. When the platform was launched, I thought I will make a final try. Frankly saying, I was deeply sceptical. When I received the response within three days, I was really excited. I felt myself important. Thank you Mr. Prime Minister.
PM Edi Rama: Thank you very much for your last sentence: “I felt important!” Because the main goal is to make every citizen feel important. Around 30 years have passed since when electoral campaigns started with campaign pledges and slogans, but almost nothing has changed since then. But the Platform makes the citizens’ voice be heard; makes the citizens’ dignity be respected. This is the main goal.
Entela, Co-Governance Office coordinator: Another case solved by the Ministry of Finance and Economy is that of Mr. Bajram Braka, who is represented by his nephew Fatjon Braka. Mr. Bajram was entitled to a special pension benefit as miner until 2015, when he asked the Social Insurance Institute to make him eligible for a full pension payment. He was denied the right to pension benefit by the Social Insurance Institute and moreover the Institute had refused to recognize three years from his social insurance contributions. On top of that, he was also considered a debtor. After the case was processed at the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Social Insurance Institute also verified and case and took the relevant measures so that Mr. Bajram Brakaj become eligible for full pension benefit starting from December 2014.
Mr. Fatjon Braka: The complaint I filed with the portal on behalf of my uncle had to do with his pension benefit. When he finally reached full retirement age, a problem emerged, because a period of three years from the social contributions he had paid were not recognized and instead of enjoying the retirement, he was found debtor for the whole amount of money he had received under a special pension benefit as miner. For two years, obeying the rules, he unsuccessfully asked for help and for his rights at the state offices. The only door still remaining open to him was that of the court. It took my perseverance to convince my uncle to join and file his complaint with the platform. Today, exactly ten days later, my uncle has his problem solved and he can now enjoy the retirement. I hope this will no longer happen to any citizen and I hope and I trust the government and Prime Minister Rama that with his reforms he will ensure that such problems never surface, not only for my uncle’s generation, but also for younger generations. I would like to extend my appreciation to all platform coordinators and really commend them for their work.
PM Edi Rama: Reforming the public administration takes considerable time, colossal work and extraordinary patience. The countries we all admire and we are seeking to imitate have solved the public administration issues centuries ago. There is no other way. The administration system reform is one side and the help and daily improvement is the other. The state structures have not been reformed for over 20 years. The state we inherited after the fall of communism was useless and it was never built and it practically became a “Bathore-like” institution. Reorganizing, legalizing and formalizing this “Bathore-like” institutional state takes extraordinary time and the modernization process to turn it into an institutional mechanism is well underway. Yet people can no longer wait and therefore it is the Public Relations office the one that helps. This is what happens in the developed countries all over the world. The President of France also has a Public Relations office, through which he can receive and send letters to various citizens. The culture of replying to citizens via such official letters was never built. However, the today’s technology provides us the opportunity to make a great leap forward and develop this important instrument. And it is the weekly first-hand witnesses to a history which includes thousands of other people.
I am very confident that each meeting, every week, every day solution affects the psychology of employees, workers, who understand little by little that the old game is over and who gets caught doing the old game will be punished. Meanwhile, building this “new game” takes our joint work. I can’t do it on my own; the government can’t succeed alone. We should work together, because no one knows what a civil servant across the country is doing right now. The reform and shaping the whole mechanism takes time. Once the mechanism is formed, the public administration employees’ subjectivity will be at minimum. When such a mechanism is not in place, the subjectivity and arbitrariness are at their maximum. The subjectivity and arbitrariness in the public administration are falling, but a lot remains to be done and that’s why a closer and stronger interaction with the ordinary citizens is indispensable.
Thank you very much for taking the trouble to attend the meeting. This is very civilized because with your own problems already addressed you could have well said we don’t want to see you anymore after the ordeal and hardship we gone through. I am convinced I am not the one to be credited for, but it is the co-governance platform coordinators who should be praised because it is their immediate assistance during the whole 10-day process which urges you to file your complaints with the platform.
Thank you very much and have a nice vacation!
