Albania Economy

The country had a mixed economy that was in transition from central economic planning to a free market system. The country continued to experience slow but steady economic progress; the economy grew by 6 percent. However, approximately 25 percent of the population of approximately 3.1 million lived below the poverty line. According to the Government, the unemployment rate was 15.2 percent; however, some unofficial reports put it as high as 22 percent. The average inflation was 3.2 percent and public sector wages increased by 10 percent. ... [Read More]

Background Notes

These publications include facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty.  The Notes are updated/revised by the Office of Electronic Information and Publications of the Bureau of Public Affairs as they are received from the Department's regional bureaus and are added to the database of the Department of State website you are now using. ... [Read More]

Albania

The Roma, and the Egyptians, who trace their roots back to Egypt, are among the most neglected groups in the country. The Egyptians tend to settle in urban areas and generally are more integrated into the economy than the Roma. In addition to widespread societal discrimination, these groups generally suffer from high illiteracy, poor health conditions, lack of education, and marked economic disadvantages. The interests of the Egyptians are represented by the Association Socio-Humanitarian Vllazerimi, the Roma by the Association Amaro Drom, Amaro Divas, Romani Baxt, and the Group for the Development of Roma Culture. The Soros Foundation supported various initiatives sponsored by the Association Amaro Drom, particularly in the field of education. ... [Read More]

African Growth and Opportunity Act

111 1111111 SEC. 212. DUTY-FREE TREATMENT FOR CERTAIN BEVERAGES MADE WITH CARIBBEAN RUM.     Section 213(a) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703(a)) is amended--          (1) in paragraph (5), by striking `chapter' and inserting `title'; and          (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:      "(6) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the duty-free treatment provided under this title shall apply to liqueurs and spirituous beverages produced in the territory of Canada from rum if--           ... [Read More]

Albania

8 years of free education and also authorizes private schools. School attendance is mandatory through the eighth grade (or until age 18, whichever comes first). However, in practice many children left school earlier than allowed by law in order to work with their families, especially in rural areas (see Section 6.d.). According to a Save the Children 2000 report, in some rural areas approximately 90 percent of adolescent girls dropped out of secondary school. The lack of proper documents--many of which have been lost due to internal migration--prevented many students from attending school (see Section 2.d.). The State Committee on Women and Children is responsible for children's issues; however, it was underfunded and lacked political influence. According to 2000 statistics issued by the Ministry of Public Order and the Commission for Reconciliation of Blood Feuds, as many as 400 children remained endangered by blood feuds involving their families ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Albania was the last of the central and eastern European countries to embark on democratic and free market reforms.  Further, it started from a much more disadvantaged position due to Hoxha’s catastrophic doctrine of isolation, self-sufficiency, and a Stalinist approach to centralized economic planning.  Transition to democracy has almost been as difficult for Albania as the country’s communist period.  Just as the country began to gather economic steam, the country’s economy hit bottom when the now-infamous pyramid schemes collapsed in 1997. ... [Read More]

V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G

Cote d’Ivoire is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Available information indicates that the overall magnitude of trafficking in Cote d’Ivoire has diminished in the past few years. Ivoirian girls are trafficked within the country for exploitation as domestic servants, street vendors, and prostitutes, and occasionally are lured to Europe where they are forced into commercial sexual exploitation after being deceived by false marriage proposals. Children from Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, and Benin are trafficked to Cote d’Ivoire for agricultural and domestic labor exploitation. Nigerian and Ghanaian women and children, as well as some females from Algeria, Morocco, China, and the Philippines, are trafficked to Abidjan and other large towns for sexual exploitation. Some of these women also transit Cote d’Iv ... [Read More]

Albania

Albania is a republic with a multiparty parliament, and a prime Minister and a president both elected by Parliament. The Prime Minister heads the Government; the presidency is a largely ceremonial position with limited executive power. In October, local elections were held throughout the country, which were judged to be an improvement over previous elections, with only a few isolated incidents of irregularities and violence. The Constitution provides for an independent judiciary; however, corruption and political pressure limited its ability to function independently and efficiently. Local police units that report to the Ministry of Public Order are responsible principally for internal security. The military have a special 152-man "commando" unit, which operates in an anti-terrorist role under the Minister of De ... [Read More]

Albania (05/05)

Within recent years, the Albanian economy has improved, although infrastructure development and major reforms in areas such as tax collection, property laws, and banking are proceeding slowly. Between 1998-2002, Albania experienced an average 6.2% annual growth in GNP. Fiscal and monetary discipline have kept inflation relatively low, averaging roughly 4.2% per year between 2001-2003. Albania’s public debt reached 67% of GDP in 2002, and the growing trade deficit was estimated at 22% of GDP in 2002. Economic reform has also been hampered by Albania’s very large informal economy, which the IMF estimates equals 50% of GDP. ... [Read More]

Albania

Albania is a cash economy.  Credit cards and travelers checks are not generally accepted, except at the major new hotels in Tirana and some international airline offices.  Travelers' checks can be changed at banks in larger towns. ...

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION:  Albania is a parliamentary democracy that is slowly transforming its economy into a market-oriented system.  Albania's per capita income is among the lowest in Europe, but economic conditions in the country are steadily improving.  Tourist facilities are not highly developed in much of the country, and though Albania's economic integration into European Union markets is slowly underway, many of the goods and services taken for granted in other European countries are not yet available.  Hotel accommodations are limited outside of major cities.  Read the Department of State Background Notes on Albania at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3235.htm for additional information. ... [Read More]