The first one stop shop, a unique counter to farmers in Fier, is opened in order to provide service and information to farmers. While the Ministry of Agriculture is committed to establish some 20 other one stop services to assist farmers. The counter will offer application services to grants and subsidies by budget funds as well as on IPARD programme, counselling on business plans, information and agricultural counselling, financial information and information on agricultural markets.
Prime Minister Edi Rama accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Niko Peleshi visited Fier to attend the inauguration of such service. Minister Peleshi said that this one stop shop will be a service window offered by some institutions to all farmers. “The Municipality has provided a huge support and this is the first service provider we are opening. Farmers will be assisted by some employees of the Agency for Rural and Agricultural Development (AZHBR) as well as extension services will soon kick off by a restructuring of the agricultural directorates. Hence, a service window will be established from 2-3 institutions to all farmers. The new support scheme will be adopted through AZHBR within the month. It is innovatory and there is a great need to set communication with farmers and agri-processors. Therefore, via in the field contacts and though a five agri-reference points network, in other words, one stop shop service to farmers we will elaborate the scheme in order the absorbing comes in large numbers and we set up towards IPARD programme which is more challenging, based on more rigorous requirements and bigger funding opportunities.”
Besides facilities offered by the service, farmers will benefit from bureaucratic removals through eliminating subsidies application documents, 13 documents in total and now utilizing the Identity Card only. “The new year starts with a novelty, a new formula is being applied through 0 documents. Not until last year there were around 13 papers needed to make an application in order to benefit subsidies, nowadays we are applying the 0 documents scheme. E-Albania online portal will enable that each applicants is presented with the personal ID,” one of the agri-service point employee explained.
The one stop shop will assist farmers in the field until their investment is completed. “The idea behind this agri-service point is to offer assistance to farmers, to establish trust and possible spare them time as we will be counsellors, we will assist them both in our office and in the field until their investment is implemented,” said one of the one stop shop employees.
Prime Minister Edi Rama emphasised that the one stop shop in Fier, which will be succeeded by others, is the basis of a fundamental transformation in the relations with farmers. “This is the onset of a radical transformation. These are indeed pivotal points of a new system that will fundamentally alter the relation with farmers in order to provide them the necessary transparency and needed support. We will also radically change the approach to how new schemes are established. Providing more information on the new scheme is of great importance to make it obvious that support cannot be granted as it used before, however, everyone should focus on a common goal in the way that each plays his own part to achieve that common goal so that farmers gain, economy gains and the future as well.”
