The upcoming tourist season will set higher standards of cleanliness and hygiene, safety and wide range of cultural and entertainment opportunities, but citizens and businesses alike should become significant contributors to the season’s success. This was the appeal the Prime Minister Edi Rama launched today as he visited the coastal town of Shengjin, with hundreds of young people, local residents, business representatives and volunteers joined a clean-up operation to rid local beaches of rubbish as part of Albania’s biggest beach clean programme. Under the patronage of all cabinet members working all over the country’s territory, as well as with the support from the private entrepreneurship, and around 1000 young volunteers, the operation aims at not only initial cleaning of the tourist areas, but also ensuring cleanliness of the country’s coastline throughout the tourist season.
“We have just embarked on cleaning first two kilometres of the beach area stretching up to Kune beach and together with the Minister of Education we will develop weekly plans, including establishment of working teams which will also feature entrepreneurs who are ready to contribute to systematic cleaning of the beaches,” the State Minister for Protection of Entrepreneurship Sonila Qato said.
Local entrepreneurs across coastal cities have welcomed the government’s invitation for cooperation in order to ensure highest cleanliness and hygiene standards during the tourist season.
Appreciating entrepreneurs for their contribution, Prime Minister Edi Rama said the main goal of the ongoing operation is not only to ensure high standards of cleanliness, but also to raise public awareness over environment and nature as most valuable asset of tourist Albania.
“What we are trying hard to do this season is not only to clean beaches in advance, but also to guarantee all year-round cleanliness. The cabinet members are working across the territory of the country as part of a patronage programme to help and coordinate work of various stakeholders and I am pretty convinced that the upcoming tourist season will much cleaner than ever before, because we have engaged a large group of about 1000 young volunteers, who will work throughout the season to raise public awareness and prevent that terrible inertia of waste disposal everywhere. Plus, for the first time ever, this season contains other components, including local festivals, sports and cultural events,” PM Rama said.
Speaking about public order and safety during the tourist season, the Premier added: “We have developed a detailed plan, which includes coordination of all hotels and other hospitality facilities with the State Police to ensure maximum safety. The plan will also tackle the acoustic pollution and discipline boats, ski jets and other vessels.”
The Minister of Education Lindita Nikolla said that maintaining clean environment will be an important component in the community education classes in schools all over the country.
