TIRANA, Sept 2 /ATA-By Maela Marini/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Wednesday that business inspections should be carried out with advance notice and body cameras, with fines used only as a last resort.
“Inspections must pass the test of ‘Besa’,” Rama said, referring to the Albanian concept of honour and trust. “There should no longer be any inspection without prior notice.”
Speaking at a meeting with inspectors, attended by Economy and Innovation Minister Delina Ibrahimaj and General Inspector Dashnor Sula, the government head called for a new inspection approach based on transparency, fairness and support for businesses.
“Our goal is not to catch businesses making mistakes, but to help them improve compliance with the law and meet standards that are in our common interest,” he said.
“An inspector does not come to a business’s door as if it were a crime scene, but as the state, which notifies you, oversees you and helps you correct your mistakes,” Rama added.
He said fines should be “the last weapon, not the first”, warning inspectors against using them as a means of pressure or blackmail.
Rama urged businesses to immediately report any unannounced routine inspection to the General Inspector and said every inspector would soon be required to wear a uniform and use a smart body camera while carrying out inspections.
“Businesses should know who the inspector is and whom they represent, while the inspector should know that every minute of their work is being monitored by the General Inspectorate,” Rama said.
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