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”:

Prime Minister Edi Rama: We hold this meeting today as part of the weekly event under the platform for co-governance with the citizens “Albania We Want”, which has remained significantly active despite the summer recess. Since July 1, 439 citizens have joined the online platform and, most importantly all those who have filed their complaints over delays and bureaucratic practice of foot dragging in the state and public offices have had their problems resolved within the deadlines set out in advance by the platform itself.

A total of over 50.000 citizens have joined the platform, either directly expressing their concern, file a complaint, address a certain problem, or simply as active citizens to express their personal opinions. The platform is a secure bridge of cooperation and interaction between every ordinary citizen of this country and the cabinet members according to the area of interest of the citizens. The platform has already proved to be a reliable instrument to address problems and concerns, regardless of the social status, age and origin of the citizens. A large number of Albanian compatriots living and working abroad have joined the online platform over the past two months as the platform has no boundaries and, being completely a digital instrument, it allows our fellow citizens who can’t travel to Albania just to complain about the public administration they can file their complaints merely accessing the platform.

Today we will introduce a series of meaningful cases. We hold this event to promote the platform through the citizens’ voice after making use of it and after having had their problems resolved. They represent a reliable voice who shares his experience and opinion about the platform and encourages others, we believe, not to be reluctant. Moreover, I would like to reiterate what I have already repeatedly said whenever I have been given the opportunity to talk about the platform. It takes three minutes only and it costs nothing to the citizens who have wasted time and year waiting for their problem to be addressed after failing to find what has been traditionally considered the shortest path. It cost nothing but three minutes only to test us. The platform is indeed the shortest path. It is much shorter than that of finding a friend, a middleman, political support or offering a bribe and it is an exceptionally effective weapon to rid the public administration of the predatory parasites still dragging their foot in the state offices, where a change is being felt, a more responsible activity and more actions to deliver public services despite even the platform itself are already underway.

Then, by again thanking you and the co-governance coordinators, who are all human beings behind the platform screen, I would like to invite Egesta to introduce the first case.

Egesta: Greetings everyone! Among the citizens, who honour us with their participation in this meeting today, is also Mrs. Fatmire Llaha, a citizen from Elbasan, who filed a complaint with the co-governance platform against the Regional Social Insurance Directorate in Elbasan. The relevant Directorate had failed to include seven years’ worth in social insurance contributions that she had been paying self-employed agricultural worker. Once the complaint received, the co-governance office treated the case and addressed it in less than ten days. Inclusion of the missing years’ worth in social contribution also led to an increase of the pension rate Fatmira will benefit including the difference of payment she had been entitled to according to the law.

I would like to emphasize the fact that disciplinary measures have been imposed on two specialists at the Regional Social Insurance Directorate in Elbasan due disciplinary measures for failing to perform their duty. Mrs. Fatmira, please share with us your experience with the co-governance platform.

Fatmire Llaha: I would like to greet you Mr. Prime Minister. I would like to express appreciation to co-governance platform that provides a way out for us. I also want to thank all the co-governance coordinators working here for the solution they gave to my problem. I paid social insurance contribution but the Regional Directorate didn’t take it into account. Anytime I went to withdraw the pension payment my knees used to shake up because the payment was too low. It happened to learn about the platform while listening the news on TV. I did not know how to write and access it. It was then my son who filed the complaint with the platform and received a reply in early August.

PM Edi Rama: These are real evidence. The platform is real and although many are sceptical – and they have my understanding – and although others might be cynical, and they all deserve our sympathy, the fact is that the platform is working for everyone. And on the other hand, for all of those most likely in the position of this lady, who wanted to take this step but she didn’t know how, I want to take this opportunity to tell them that they can access the co-governance platform by addressing to the relevant offices we have already opened at every local government unit and post offices. Similar cases involving retired people who have been denied the right pension payment by the relevant institution of social insurances have been presented during the previous weekly meetings of the co-governance platform. Just like Egesta stated we are not satisfied with the fact that a certain problem has been addressed, but we carry on to the end to identify those responsible. In the lady’s case, disciplinary measures have been imposed on two workers, who have dealt with her case. Civil servants who commit misconduct are subject to disciplinary measures that vary from dismissal to the criminal prosecution. Albana will introduce another case regarding entrepreneurship.

Albana: Honourable Mr. Prime Minister. Honourable participants. The case I am about the share with you is an evidence showing that the platform and cooperation with the citizens yields positive outcomes in the fight against informality and the food safety. Elton Shani is a citizen who joined the co-governance platform to raise such issues. With the complaint received, we addressed the matter to the law enforcement institutions, the tax administration and other agencies and a process of inspection and verifications by the tax administration and other inspectorates produces positive results. I would like to call upon citizens and businesses not to hesitate, but feel free and address the platform to denounce any case of informality and any phenomenon which influences not only the business climate, but also the food safety. Elton, please!

Elton: Greetings everyone! Greetings Mr. Prime Minister. We run a modest family business, but we faced a problem and therefore filed a complaint with the co-governance platform, with its coordinators acting promptly and concretely. Everything was verified and it turned out ok. It was really an embarrassing that we had a problem with our business. The problem was that businesses in the area operated largely informally.

PM Edi Rama: Your embarrassment is understandable, because your neighbours may find out that you’re the cause of the problem. However, you have done the right thing and the truth is the colossal steps forward have been taken in terms of the fight against informality. But a lot remains to be done and the cooperation between the citizens and the business community is very useful. The same goes for the food safety as Albana touched upon. There is no doubt that no comparison can be drawn with the situation in the past years, yet it is still far from the situation we all want to be in and every citizen has an important role to play by drawing attention against a certain business activity that threatens the consumer safety. Other Albana will be presenting the next case related to the healthcare.

Albana: Thank you Mr. Prime Minister! Greetings everyone! As co-governance platform coordinators we are every day witnessing cases with the citizens making use of the platform as a signalling mechanism when service delivery, and healthcare service delivery in particular fails. Such is the complaint filed with the co-governance platform for the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, when a citizen complained on behalf of her elderly parents, who went to see the family doctor at the healthcare centre No.1 in Elbasan to find out that the doctor was not in his workplace. Once the complained received, the regional public healthcare directorate verified the case and imposed a disciplinary measure accordingly. It is my pleasure to invite Mrs. Iliada Kuqi, the daughter of the two elderly parents who now receive care at the aforementioned healthcare centre.

Iliada Kuqi: Greetings everyone! Greetings Mr. Prime Minister. I’ve filed a complaint on behalf of my elderly parents, who live alone in the city of Elbasan. They belong to a vulnerable category that cannot raise their voice and advocate for their rights. So, in this situation, where I myself had to go on Saturdays to receive the health service on their behalf, but staff were not in their workplace. I was fed up and I said: “Enough is enough.” It was then I decided to file the complaint with the portal and within a week I received a reply. The case has been verified and the situation has changed. Now the doctor and whole staff of the healthcare centre are there every day of the week. Thank you!

PM Edi Rama: I am pleased to come across such a case because people hesitate and very rarely complain against doctors and medical staff when finding themselves in such situations, or they witness a suspicious behaviour or even a corruption practice committed by doctors. They offer bribe and leave outraged. But there is another way out. They should choose not to pay and not tolerate lack of seriousness, contributing at the same time to distinguish between the bad and the good within the country’s healthcare system, with the absolute majority of doctors doing their job right. But there is still a small number of them who by failing to do their job correctly, they taint and tarnish the entire system and annoy everyone, even those who have never visited a doctor. With their unacceptable misconduct, they develop a miserable public perception. Let alone when it comes to the fact that the healthcare centres, which are an extremely problematic system, completely degraded. We are currently implementing an ambitious program of building 300 healthcare centres all over the territory of the Republic of Albania. Work is already underway for construction of 80 healthcare centres and they all will be equipped with the best calibre of medical equipment to provide best service. However, the public’s eyes and voice are imperative to develop the right and proper service culture in the entire healthcare service. That’s why I reiterate I am deeply grateful to each and every one of you for coming and sharing with us your experience at this public session, if you will, helping through their accounts to raise awareness and urge many others to address the co-governance platform, which is nothing but an innovation, an innovative transformation of the former public relation offices that served no purpose, but just received piles of papers and complaints without providing a response. Adela will introduce the next case which has to do with the healthcare service too.

Adela: Honourable Mr. Prime Minister! Honourable guests! Indeed, as Albania just said, in the course of our daily work, we handle a wide range of issues. The case I would like to present today has to do with a very sensitive issue as it directly concerns the life of teenagers here in the city of Tirana and the main worry for many families. The complaint we have received via the co-governance platform is about two pharmacy shops, which illicitly trade medicine pills, namely antidepressants, which are unprinted and are provided without a prescription by the respective doctor. With the complaint received, the relevant institutions started acting. The relevant verifications were carried out and it turned out this phenomenon is commonplace. The relevant state institutions imposed the due administrative measures and addressed the matter to the Pharmacist Order of Albania. It is worth mentioning the fact that instead of acting and take concrete steps to tackle the matter regarding the activity of these drug stores and review the licenses of these pharmacists, the Pharmacist Order decided to turn a blind eye and remain silent. To find more, I would like to invite Mrs. Silvana Sinani to share her experience with us.

Silvana Sinani: I am here today to share my experience with you. I offer a 24-hour nursing home service and I’ve found myself in dramatic situations at least four times with young people taking antidepressant pills, some 10 to 20 pills in certain cases, and being at life-threatening situation and we have been forced to perform gastric lavage, inject serum as situation was alarmingly emergent. Talking with the family members, we were told that their children could easily find pills, including stilnox tablets, Xanax, and diazepam, in pharmacy shops. These are all antidepressants that can cause death if you take a dose exceed. I have asked by these children’s parents to raise the voice about this phenomenon. To this end, I accessed the platform which promptly provided a response within a week. I was later informed about the inspection results. I am here not to denounce pharmacists, but e phenomenon that should stop immediately, because the aforementioned teenagers still buy such pills at two other pharmacies. In my experience and after living and working for several years abroad, I can tell you that such medicines are not provided by pharmacies without a prescription. And I’m talking about countries like the United States, Italy and France. That’s why I insist that this problem should be addressed immediately and the legislation about antidepressants should be reviewed.

Thank you very much. Meanwhile, I have provided the answers to these parents and I enjoy their support in this aspect. They have also expressed readiness to attend this meeting in person if necessary. It is a dramatic situation. It has been a traumatic experience and that’s why I am trying to provide more explanations in order to shed somehow more light on the mood of these families.

PM Edi Rama: Thank you for your citizenship and for raising your voice. Yours is a significant contribution to set in motion, not only the administration, but, just like Adela underlined, the Pharmacist Order as well. We have scheduled a meeting with the Pharmacist Order representatives in the coming days to discuss this serious problem. At the same time, we have included the respective changes to the law in order to immediately intervene and impose drastic measures to prevent every single case of this phenomenon that could turn our deadly to adolescents. We will stay in touch, because the work of the coordinators of the co-governance platform is not that of call centre operators, but it is an intensive work behind the screen with the cabinet members, because it is the later the ones to directly deal with the complaints and issues forwarded via the platform. So, Adela, the Minister of Health, along with the parents and my cabinet here the Prime Minister’s office and I personally will all engage to go to the end of this battle you already launched on your own, but thanks to the platform you are no longer alone.

Florian will now introduce another case of what has already become a tradition at this weekly meeting and it has to do with the property issues. I am pleased that continued positive results have been achieved, both by the Agency for Legalisation, Urbanisation and Integration of Informal Areas and Buildings (ALUIZNI), and the Immovable Property Registration office. Significant improvements are becoming obvious at the two institutions, and at the Property Registration Office in particular, as the public pressure and the idea that every citizen who is denied a public service can reveal the employees’ misconduct has started to produce its effects and is being translated into a higher responsibility from the civil servants. We are confident this will gradually become a mentality in the state offices.

Florian: Thank you Mr. Prime Minister! The case I am about to introduce is about the citizen Eqerem Petriti. He had applied for his house and property legalization since in 2005, but without receiving a final response. He accessed the co-governance platform in July this year and the due legalization permit was provided within nine days. I invite Florian’s wife, Mrs. Zylfie, to share their story with us.

Zylfie Petriti: Greetings! Thank you for inviting me to share with you my story and bad experience in the legalization process of my house since in 2005. I had already paid al charges and legalization process-related fees, but no legalization permit received. My husband has contracted a disease and I was forced to deal with all procedures on my own. Every time I appeared at the ALUIZNI offices I was told to come back next week or after two weeks. Finally, I decided to join the platform. I invite everyone to follow my lead and join the platform as it took nine days only for me to receive the due document I had failed to gain for many years. I now expect to receive the property certificate. Thank you!

PM Edi Rama: We are here to assist you in the process. This is our common battle with the citizens to improve the public service delivery and early signs of change in conduct, behaviour and readiness of the civil servants to perform their duties. The platform is becoming a very effective tool in this aspect. The last case will be referred by Flamur and it has again to do with the property and legalization process.

Flamur: Thank you Mr. Prime Minister! Greetings colleagues and participating citizens. The case I am about to introduce is somehow unique. A citizen from Shkodra, Mr. Tom Gilaj, had filed with the regional ALUIZNI Directorate in Shkodra to legalize his house since 2005. One day he decided to file his complaint with the platform and within 10 days he received a reply telling him that the legalization permit had been issued since 2012. It was kind of weird though that his application file was not found every time Tomi used to visit ALUIZNI offices. The file was finally found and the legalization permit had been already issued. To find more, I would invite Mr. Tom himself to share his experience with us.

Tom Gilaj: Greetings Mr. Prime Minister! As Flamur said, I filed the application for the legalization of my house in 2005. Since then, I always received a negative response. I used to apply for the due property certificate with the regional Immovable Property Registration Office and I was told the document would be sent to my address via the post service. After three or four years, finally I was told that my application had been lost. I provided a copy of my application I had at home. But then I was told that it was the regional director the one who could solve the case in exchange of a two to 3000 euros. It was my daughter who suggested to join the platform, but, frankly saying, I was deeply sceptical, saying the corruption practices are wide spread. Finally, my daughter filed the complaint with the portal and a reply was provided within ten days. My problem was finally tackled. Thank you very much.

PM Edi Rama: Thank you very much for your account! I am really deeply sorry and I feel angry whenever I hear such stories that everyone can guess, but that’s when you hear them concretely. I would like to reiterate: the platform is the shortest path. Of course corruption has been wide spread in public service delivery and reforming the institutions, digitizing public services and increasing accountability are some of the ways to eradicate corruption practices. But while we are doing this, I have repeatedly announced that a reform on property titles will be finalized in September. All government agencies, the Immovable Property Registration Office and ALUIZNI will merge to form a single institution and they will no longer play ping-pong with the citizens’ rights. At the same time, we will cooperate and interact with the citizens in order to address the platform as the shortest path. It costs not a single penny and it takes three minutes only to file the complaint and send it to the relevant cabinet member. Your case has been handled by the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the co-governance coordinator. Every cabinet member is available to the citizens when the complaint is related to his or her department and this is the only way. Many people say “how is it possible? What is this platform? That platform is illegal.” The platform is merely a transformed public relations office, a former network of useless offices that tortured the citizens. The platform is a single address and everyone has the government on his own pocket, his own smart phone. And if the former public relations offices never succeeded in forwarding a complaint to the relevant cabinet member, the platform is a rare chance to make the citizens’ voice heard by every cabinet member. The regular government meeting will take place after this weekly event. Every cabinet meeting ends with every minister reporting on the platform and the cases they have handled during a week. This is the reason it works. This is the way. We are making significant steps and I am pretty confident that more steps will be taken and we will succeed during this term in office.

Thank you very much for participating in this meeting. Thank you to all coordinators of the co-governance with the citizens platform!