Prime Minister Edi Rama’s conversation with the public via the web-based emergency platform www.shqipëriaqëduam.al and social networks:
Hello everyone!
I stand here once again to have direct conversation with you today as a new week starts and I believe it is the right moment to take stock of the situation and talk about this week and the next week.
First of all, without a sense of overconfidence and enthusiasm, because there is no room for enthusiasm in this war, but with confidence and an encouraging optimism I would like to emphasise that progress is quite positive, primarily and undisputedly thanks to each and every one of you. Thanks to more than 99% of the Albanian citizens, who are doing their best during this war, except the 0.7%, 0.4%, 0.3% or 0.5% of the disobedient and non-compliant individuals, who do not wish to obey, the rest of population is understanding, heeding advices, fighting and sacrificing in this war. It is true that a very small number of individuals are not complying, yet they remember a ticking bomb we must definitely tackle.
Of course, people are struggling to cope with many problems and specific issues and I want you believe that we are dealing day and night with all of these problems and everything else by doing and employing every opportunity we have.
First of all, allow me to touch upon an issue you have made many questions about, that is the borders issue, the issue concerning those who ventured to head to the border.
In fact, regretting that certain media are airing previously recorded footages, two or three days ago, claiming they are live event images, the situation is as follows:
At this moment there are no problems at the border in Kakavija and nobody is seeking to enter the through this border crossing point.
Meanwhile, a total of 19 cars and persons, residents in Greece, are currently at the border crossing of Kapshtica and none of them is in a specific emergency situation, but they are seeking to enter the territory just to see their families.
Of course, what I am saying now would normally sound completely absurd in the event of a completely different situation, but for the time being this is the only way and option to discourage border crossings.
On the other hand, whoever plays the role of the patriot, whoever acts as a mourner chanting lamentation for the alleged human rights violation by denying people entry to their homeland, he is just seeking to incite disaster and catastrophe. I clearly state this without slightest doubt and conviction.
It is not a secret, but a widely known fact, not today, but for many years that Sali Berisha’s only goal is how to destruct Albania over and over again just for the sake of his hallucinating calculations.
I referred to this completely unpopular name for the overwhelming majority of Albanians as the origin and the source of a scandalous political process of inciting disorder and mayhem, but in this case it is not merely about triggering disorder, but inciting the chain of deaths. A chain of deaths that currently is way too far from what it would have actually been if we were to act on the opinions of Sali (Berisha) and many others like him stick to their same-old melody, which is really blameable in this time. It is intolerable, unacceptable and unjustifiable that such situation and people are encouraged to head towards the country’s borders and then incite them to conflict with the border police. Borders have been closed in order to protect the lives of those on this side, but also on the other side of the border.
We have decided to enter an intermediate process in the next 24 hours and who ever will arrive at our land borders as a residence holder of other countries will be denied entry to the country for any reason. While, whoever arrives at our border with claims of other nature, they will be sent into a mandatory 14-quarantine in hotels and they will cover the accommodation cost themselves. They will stay closed in a hotel room for 14 days, where they will be served food and will pay a fixed price. This is the only way for us to protect our people, we can protect Albania from the catastrophe, as well as to protect those coming from other countries and their families, but at the same time granting entry to all of those who are visiting the country for strong humanitarian reasons.
Arrival of Albanian citizens, residents in other countries, is at this moment unjustifiable, unacceptable and really an irresponsible behaviour towards yourself, your families and towards the country.
However, within next 24 hours we will officially and publicly announce the treatment mechanism of anyone showing up at the country’s borders, claiming that he or she is in an emergency situation. Everyone should know in advance that before addressing this urgent need, before contacting or meeting the family, you will observe a mandatory 14-quarantine in hotels that will be under the control of the State Police and where nobody will be allowed to leave or venture outside, because this is what the quarantine is about, complete isolation inside somewhere without contacting anyone.
Next, I would like to issue an appeal to all Shkodra citizens. Please, I beg you, please show utmost care and specifically respect the rules, because failure to respect the rules and neglecting several elementary measures that each of us should take has turned Shkodra into a ticking time bomb. We are working hard and we will do whatever it takes to support Shkodra, the families in most need, just like we are doing everywhere else across the country, although, unfortunately, we have yet to find and meet commitment and full understanding of the local government authorities and structures there, but I believe this will be something that will be resolved as soon as possible in best interest of Shkodra, in best interest of Shkodra citizens, but, at the end of the day, what matters most is the iron discipline and respect for the rules by the residents themselves.
We will do whatever it takes to break the virus transmission chain, by sticking to protocols according to the strategy adopted by the Technical Committee of Experts, also in terms of efforts to isolate all infected people just like everywhere else across the country indeed, because it something different regarding Shkodra, but the situation is really fragile.
What is important and worth saying, however, is that we are dealing with a result we should all be very aware of and very encouraged, a positive result. Here I have the possible projections we made when we started the war. This includes also the projections in a scenario where we were not to act and fail to take any measure and, according to these projections, as of today we would have counted a total of 3008 infected people, while our average projection predicted as many as 600 infections. Actually, we have recorded a lot less, a total of 377 infections to date. This is the result of the measures we have taken. If we were not to act and take these measures, we would have had recorded by now no more, no less but as many as 286 deaths. Our average projection suggested for at least 45 deaths as of today. Today we count 5.6% of the cases. But the most adequate and statistically valid would be a survey including one million people. If you are to look into the cases including 1 million residents and the number of deaths on one side, which unfortunately are human lives, and the number of the recovered patients on the other side, who are humans too, you would find out that results are really encouraging ones. I am not going to use complicated words, although they can be used, but I am not going to do that because no assessment on the toll of the war is done in the midst of an ongoing war. Such an assessment will be made once the war is over. If we are to progress in this way, then we will end the war proudly and we will all together make history, primarily thanks to all of you and your sacrifices, the resistance and the way you are coping with big troubles and your great understanding.
I humbly bow in a gesture of respect and gratitude to each and every one of you, because you know quite well that our country doesn’t have extraordinary capacities and you are witnessing how even countries with extraordinary capacities are suffering, and this is not that we are not suffering too, but thanks to the great resistance we are resorting to all together, for the extraordinary understanding we are materializing every day together on the ground.
On the other hand, I would like to put emphasis on the fact that the first 9500 wartime salaries have been approved for small businesses in the category of businesses that have shut down their activity and cannot work and these salaries will be paid by the end of the week. The approved salaries will be transferred into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries by tomorrow. Wartime salaries will be paid to a total of 60 440 individuals, as we have already promised. The applications for this special salary should be filed with the Tax Directorate via its official website and once verifications are made, the salaries are approved. The disbursement of the 9500 first salaries that have been approved today is set to start tomorrow and the process will continue until the end of the week.
I would like to thank all of those who via this direct communication window with me, via the emergency communication channel we have launched on the platform www.shqiperiaqeduam.al, have expressed concerns over issues that we have taken into consideration. Small businesses, including small dressmaking shops, tourism and travel agencies, car repair workshops, physiotherapists, home appliance repairs, these are all de facto closed, despite the fact that we have not ordered their closure, but because they have no activity. We will include all these categories in the category of beneficiaries under an expanded economic support package due to be unveiled after April 15.
The social assistance has been distributed to all beneficiaries. The families under social welfare benefit will receive double cash assistance. In the meantime, now that low-income families benefiting social assistance have already received a double payment, we are making efforts to properly identify needy families with more five members in order to provide them also with food supplies and other essential services.
We will definitely not leave alone those currently housed in tents. They will be supplied regularly by us.
We will abandon no individual and family really in need. But, when I really say in need, the Albanian government is also in need today, like any other government to face the big waves that this war has triggered, threatening the stability of our home. We will face it together, be sure. We will face it with strength, resistance, discipline and the greatest pride of being Albanian, one nation, one single family.
[Citizen] You should act to address the plight of those stranded at border.
As to those currently at the border crossing points – I already said it earlier – they have no reason to head to the borders, because borders have been closed. This is a war, but it was not me the one to trigger this war. This war was not caused by the government, it was not caused by the state, and we can fight this war only with everyone doing his duty to the family and homeland.
What everybody has watched today, again on TV, are the 19 cars of individuals, residents in the neighbouring country. They say they are visiting the country just to meet their family members and they will then leave shortly after. But this is not possible. It is impossible. Whereas, everyone coming to the country for one or another reason, should be prepared for a 14-day mandatory quarantine in hotel close to the border and with them having to pay the accommodation cost themselves. There is no other option. This is not our invention. This is what has been done by other countries, because almost all countries have shut down their borders, even to those living inside the country and this is because there is no other way to contain the virus. It is a proven fact that countries that open borders, or kept borders open after the virus outbreak, they got into endless trouble costing everyone dearly, not to mention the fact that healthy individuals may come and contract the virus here.
[Citizen] “Don’t think about yourselves only. Do something because 85% of the population is waiting!”
First, we have done what many similar and dissimilar countries did after us. In terms of support, we will do neither more nor less, but whatever we can.
Once again I urge you, please, I invite you all not to make such easy correlations between what you watch on TV, suggesting that “billions are being given away to the people in this or that country”, and don’t think that these billions in cash do not end up in the peoples’ pockets, because it simply doesn’t happen that way.
[Citizen] “Make available an airplane or a ferry so that they can come back home.”
No, there will be neither an airplane, nor a ferry to carry them back home, because we are at war and what would sound completely absurd at peace time is actually today the only way to deal with the absurdity of this invisible enemy that could wreak havoc exactly where we let and create loopholes, behaving as in times of peace. Nothing can work like in peacetime. This is the only way to win the war.
[Citizen] “Mr. Prime Minister, the government should pitch tents to house those stranded at borders.”
No, we are not going to set up tents, because we will make available hotels so that everyone entering the country is quarantined for 14 days at their own expenses. This is it.
[Citizen-question] A jewellery shop for the eased restrictive measures in the coming days.
Of course, we have hinted at the possibility of gradually easing the restriction measures and indeed we are preparing few relaxed measures, but in order for the eased measures to work we should all agree that they should be coupled with some tougher penalties against anyone violating the rules and the law so that they are harshly punished, because easing the restriction measures could be translated into a relaxation of the peoples’ conduct and it could clear the way to the catastrophe.
The relaxed measures we are seeking to put in place would allow citizens to use their personal cars to go to work, buy food or run errands. But at the same time, if one breaks the curfew or takes other family members with them, their driving license will be revoked, their car will be seized and their case will be referred to justice bodies and they could be sent into prison. These measures remain to be detailed and will be then unveiled to the public.
Likewise, if one takes a retired person in his car, for whatever reason, except health emergencies that are easily verifiable, will have their driving license revoked, their cars seized and they will be sent to prison.
On the other hand, we will also extend to 90 minutes the daily time period for going out to buy food or run errands throughout the week and citizens will be allowed to use their personal car to do so, but certainly, at the same time, severe penalties will be imposed, including imprisonment for those who do not obey the measures.
We have witnessed the ugly and disgusting phenomenon of local cafes and bars opening their doors to the “neighbourhood’s bravest’ individuals who cannot resist drinking coffee. Hefty fines have been imposed, licenses to businesses activities have been revoked, yet this story goes on. Their number, compared to the number of bar-cafes that have shut their doors to respect, is insignificant, yet enough to cause a huge damage. That’s why, opening bar-cafes banned by law will be punished, stipulating for imprisonment of violators, revocation of the driving licence for several years, seizure of the personal car and everything inside the cafe. There is no other option. The restrictive measures need to be relaxed for 99% of the people who are respecting the rules, who are sacrificing and keeping their children inside the hose for many days now, who are caring and looking after the older adults, and are using the daily time period for going out by running to buy food, run errands, visit their old parents and care for them, to go to work and come back again home. It is these majority of people for whom we intend to relax the current restrictive measures. We want to ease these measures so that these people do not lose their jobs, and allow businesses to go on with their activities. These measures are not being eased so that these people who open the cafes receive the wrong message that the game is now open. This game will end forever for the violators of the rules.
We are also seeking to further ease the activities in individual commercial units, shops, service shops, not bars, restaurants, cafes, gyms, but small shops not inside bigger shopping centres, which will remain closed. But these small shops should absolutely take all measures and be prepared to equip all their customers with face masks, gloves and disinfectants. Failure to respect these measures will certainly be punishable and tough penalties will be enforced, including seizure of all goods, closure of the shop and imprisonment of the shop owner. There is no other way! An article still into force on the Italian Criminal stipulates for the imprisonment of everyone who violates the rules imposed during a virus outbreak, considering it a serious injury and strongly punishes it with imprisonment.
Likewise, we are also considering plans to extend the daily time period or the hours for going out to buy food or run errands, because relaxation of the restriction measures should be coupled with prolonged time allowed for one family member to leave the house. Certainly, this issue is somehow disputable considering the current circumstance. I stick to the fact and conviction that this is not a matter of the hours when people are allowed to leave house. Every daily time period is disputable in the current war circumstances, but it is not a matter of the time duration, because otherwise what we unfortunately saw in the Kombinat market last weekend, an unintentional and irresponsible crime, would have been found everywhere in the country. We will extend this period of time allowing people to go out, but all these measures will be relaxed gradually. On the other hand, the eased restrictive measures will not enter into force without assessing first implementation of all the existing measures this week and the curb of the epidemic.
The yesterday’s data were positive and encouraging ones, but we have still to wait and see as we expect to reach the peak of the infections and it is experts the ones who will recommend us how and what to do next.
By the way, I am really sorry and I regret that I am forced to return to an argument I would have wished to never return during whole this period, and this argument has to do with the Democratic Party and the opposition. I would like to reiterate and tell Lulzim Basha this is not the time for his out-of-date kind of opposition. However, this is not my choice, it is your choice, but it is not the time for the kind of pre-war opposition. This is not time to play politics and oppose the government, by saying that the Democratic Party thinks that testing should be done this way. But who is the Democratic Party to think how test should be conducted? Is it a WHO-certified health institute, or a leading international institution with a reputation, although having different contradicting viewpoint even when it comes to the multiplication table. How could one launch assaults against those working today under immense stress, the excellent experts in the Technical Committee of Experts, as persons who say what the Prime Minister tells them to say? No, it is quite the contrary. I say exactly what these experts tell me, I repeat it by heart and I implement the recommendations and their advice, and it is not me to develop the testing strategy, but it is them, the experts, who will continue to do so, no matter whether you or the Democratic Party like it or not.
This is the time for you personally and others in your party to contribute, and we all jointly contribute to the efforts to win this war. It’s not the time to show how little you know and that you still don’t know what you don’t know. It is time to coordinate efforts together and I have told you and I have told you in front of the President of the Republic, and all members of the National Security Council, that you can ask in advance about everything you worry about and that we will we provide you entire required information. If you are worried about the testing strategy, ask and listen. You are worried about a tender here, a procedure there, obtain the documentation, ask, verify and then help us correct if we are wrong. And if we don’t recognize and accept what you’re proposing as right, you can go out and tell the public what you want, but it’s not [inaudible] talking to the public through ways and communication tools that are totally ordinary at peacetime and they are more than ordinary at wartime; they are, unlucky for you and your party, criminal.
[Citizen] Mr. Prime Minister, I am a Lezha resident and I work at fish restaurant, but we have lost our job and the restaurant owner says I will be paid nothing.
If the fish restaurant is legal and pays the social contribution and it is currently closed, because it had to be closed and the owner has done the best thing to shut the restaurant down, then all his legally working employees belong to the category of workers, who will be included in the extended support package. However, the restaurant owner should definitely pay you the March salary.
[Citizens] The Catholics are preparing to celebrate Easter and we expect you to tolerate us so that we can do shopping and buy more than normally.
I already stated earlier that the eased measures will allow for the use of the private cars, but we will look into the dynamics, while we are seeking to extend the daily time period or the hours for going out to buy food or run errands to 90 minutes throughout the week.
[Citizen] Who is assessing the damages?
We are assessing the damages, just like we did in the aftermath of the earthquake and trust us, as you have already seen; we know how to make accurate assessments, because, if we didn’t, then we would have not succeeded in gaining 1.1 billion euros in support from Europe and whole world.
[Citizen] How would you respond to the tenants also for the March rent?
Tenants will not pay. May be you have misunderstood me. They will not pay the rent until end of May and we will then reschedule your relations and they will pay in tranches. As to the rent payment for the month of March you should settle the matter in good will. It is impossible that we let people be evicted of homes when they are unable to pay the rent, as they would have done normally. But, on the other hand, I want to say, and this is important, we have offered individuals, whose main source of income is the rent they receive from their property, the opportunity to apply with the Taxation Directorate. There are a number of individuals who have kept complaining constantly. We have heard them very attentively and we have taken their complaints into consideration, as they claim they won’t be unable to survive, if they don’t receive the rent payment. So, when they have no other source of income, we will support them. A total of 100 individuals have applied to date. If you belong to this category of people, please file your applications with the Taxation Directorate and the government will support you.
Likewise, I would like to tell anyone encountering difficulties when applying for a loan with banks, they should all file their complaint with the Taxation Directorate and we will track down each case, as banks are generally respecting the agreement, but there are also certain banks that are declining to do so. We will support each you. You should simply notify and inform us and we will deal then with the banks.
As far as the taxi services are concerned, the taxi cabs will be not allowed on roads for the time being.
Meanwhile, we have also to address the baby bonus issue. Nothing has changed about this. The newborn will continue benefiting full cash reward.
[Citizen] What is the fund you have received from the EU?
You won’t give up, even if we venture to explain it in person to each you. The EU fund is not cash money offered in suitcases for everyone to take out. The EU funding earmarked for the Albanian government in the fight against the coronavirus and it is a fund of 50 million euros that will be allocated in tranches until next March. The first tranche has yet to be disbursed. Even it is disbursed, that is not cash money, but an assistance to support our health system.
[Citizen] You are selling out the questions via Facebook as political questions.
I sell nothing, but I provide explanations to the people who are interested to receive concrete information and learn more about things they worry about.
[Citizen] When roads to Italy will open?
I don’t know when roads to Italy will open. Nobody knows. When the world is over and when everyone else opens borders. Nobody knows.
[Citizen] We represent a business that is allowed to work even after 01:00 pm. We work from 8.00 am to 04.00 pm. I don’t know whether we will be able to return back home without being fined?
No fine is imposed on people who are allowed to work. No such kind of fine is imposed. We have frequently reiterated this.
[Citizen] Please don’t skip or ignore my question, because retired people should go out and do shopping, because nobody is helping us with shopping.
For the time being, you won’t be allowed to leave house. You should just ask for support and will definitely assist every retiree by doing shopping for them.
Meanwhile, the news I want to give the quake-affected families and individuals is that work to construct the structure in Thumane will begin this week, when we will also approve the infrastructure projects for all areas and sites where construction of the new homes will then begin.
Likewise, due documentation has been already prepared for construction of 46 schools in the areas outside Tirana. Forty more school buildings will be constructed soon.
Meanwhile, there are more other questions and an answer to these question has been provided during this conversation, including the time period when people are allowed to leave home, questions about business and so on and so forth. Human beings are not like sheep, someone says.
No, absolutely not. Humans are not like ship. However, what are you? Because the one who brands humans as sheep, he is a paper wolf, who should definitely go to [… inaudible] to start over again after having spent so long time howling like a wolf in the forest, which is not our society, which is not the environment where your parents raised you, is not the environment where you go out and communicate with the outside world, so it would be best for you to patiently start quarantine once again in order to understand not only that humans are not sheep, but also that you are not an wolf either. You are just an ignorant, uneducated, uneducated person.
We will keep in touch. This is all for the time being. Please bear in mind that we are doing an extraordinary thing together. Thanks to you and first of all thanks to the cooperation and understanding between the government, the state and the people a very beautiful chapter of our life in the future will be materialized once this whole nightmare is over, because we will all recall how thanks to this solidarity and this fight and resistance in this war we succeeded precisely where much larger and more powerful nations failed to succeed just like they should have done if they were to do what we actually did.
