In cooperation with Albanian partners, GIZ has conducted an extensive survey in Tirana, Elbasan and Vlora to measure the level of passenger satisfaction. Their aim is to better understand the experience of citizens, so that concrete measures can be implemented to improve public transport.

The indicators show that in Tirana, the overall satisfaction rate has increased by 40% since 2022. The factors that received the highest ratings are information on buses, average waiting time and money worthiness.

According to GIZ, the three categories with the lowest levels of satisfaction are bus cleanliness, bus travel time and personal safety at the bus station.

Another important finding is that 69% of public transport users are women, who rely on the bus for going to work, childcare and daily travel. According to GIZ, the investments made in recent years, especially in passenger information, line reliability and extended operating hours, have influenced these results, while emphasizing that it will continue to support Albanian partners to further advance with improvements in public transport, with the aim of making the lives of citizens and visitors easier. /p.s./

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Anila Denaj extended an invitation to the farmers from Kukësi and Dibra to take the opportunity become part of a support scheme from the German Development Agency (GIZ).

“A new initiative that makes new opportunities for farmers from Kukësi and Dibra, benefiting from the support of experts, gain experience in the cultivation of raspberries, a new and profitable crop that is in high demand in the market”, said Denaj.

The cooperation with strategic partners, such as GIZ, the minister emphasized, will make our communities obtain tangible results.

GIZ supports farmers for an area of ​​0.2 ha to 0.4 ha with seedlings.

This pilot project aims to use the experience from Kosovo to ensure a good and stable income for families and residents in mountainous regions. The raspberries are in high demand in the market, offering farmers a profitable opportunity to improve their income and livelihood.

The deadline for applications closes tomorrow, August 20. /a.f/p.s./

Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation Blendi Gonxhja shared today the post of the office of the German Cooperation in Albania, GIZ, where it is emphasized that this is a great achievement for Albanian public transport.

“Thanks to the collaboration of the Albanian General Directorate of Road Transport Services and GIZ Albania, public transport information throughout Albania is now GTFS compliant, a global data standard.”

GIZ thanks all the partners and contributors who made this important achievement possible.

“Together, we are improving public services and moving towards a more connected and sustainable future in Albania!”/p.s./

Tirana’s urban transport system is undergoing sustainable transformation thanks to this project.

A revised bus route network has been built under this project, with newly designated stops and clearly defined route timetables, construction of dedicated bicycle lanes, as well as construction of two special bicycle lanes at the Artificial Lake.

German Embassy said that the excellent German-Albanian development cooperation with the city of Tirana provides cheaper and reliable transport options.

“This not only relieves pressure on our roads, but also makes an important contribution to climate protection,” the Embassy said.

German Embassy added that the current project is scheduled to complete in first half of this year and a new project will be launched to further strengthen local public transport.

/u.sh/

“Eight years after donating three individuals with government connections an initial portion of the amount of 430 million euros in Elbasan, the government of Albania signs a loan agreement with GIZ about same object of the contract,” the opposition MP Tabaku claimed.

“Seven years after donating 30 million euros to the very same individuals the concession contract on the waste incinerator in Fier, the government of Albania that ignored all the advices of environmentalists and the European Union that opposed waste incinerating has now obtained a loan to build sanitary landfill,” Tabaku noted.

“Six years after in partnership with Mayor Veliaj the same government donated to the same people  the monopoly of waste and soil treatment in whole Tirana district under a single signature by Tirana Mayor Veliaj, the government agrees to obtain a loan from GIZ for the very same object it has contracted and pays to Mërtiri, Zoto and Gugallja,” she added.

The opposition lawmaker accused government of publicly advocating construction of waste incinerators, saying that “after donating 430 million euros from public money to three individuals declared wanted by justice, the ruling majority has decided to return to the very projects offered as an alternative by the Democratic Party instead of costly concession contracts.”

/u.sh/

The project aims to promote competitiveness and income in rural areas throughout its implementation in the next four years (2023-2026), contributing more broadly to sustainable development in the country.

Working closely with Albanian businesses and government, the project will support the design of development policies and innovative practices in agriculture and rural tourism, promoting green growth, digitization and diversity in line with the country’s EU accession process.

Agricultural production is the focus of the project, with special emphasis on greenhouse vegetables, fruits and dairy products. Through initiatives such as the adoption of biological pest control methods, the aim is to improve the quality and quantity of their production.

In her speech, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Frida Krifca said that the second phase of the “Sustainable Rural Development” project provides farmers with an additional tool to increase farm productivity.

In parallel with the support in the agricultural sector, the project aims to promote rural tourism with a focus on agrotourism, adventure tourism and the management of tourist destinations.

“We have started communications with ITB BERLIN, the world’s largest tourism fair, for Albania to be the country of honor in 2025, which renders into a series of activities from 2024 to 2025, and I invite partners to support us in this new project”, said Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro.

The project will support the creation of successful pilot models in both sectors, with the aim of their further replication throughout the market.

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Peter Zingraf mentioned some of these models, such as biological control in greenhouses or innovative tourism platforms, with the aim of improving tourism products everywhere in Albania.

While the Deputy Head of the Swiss Mission in Albania Dr. Patrick Meier emphasized the importance of cooperation between donors and the Albanian government for sustainable rural development in Albania.

At the end of the activity, the guests were presented with some of the certified local products, fruit-vegetable and dairy products supported by GIZ during the last four years./p.s./

Discussions focused on the preparations and the work plan within the Albania-EU Bilateral Meeting for Chapter 9, scheduled for February 13-14, 2023.

The workshop was attended by the representatives of the FSA, Bank of Albania, Deposit Insurance Agency (ADIA) and INSTAT, the institutions responsible for Chapter 9 “Financial Services”.//a.i/

The Action Plan 2022-2026, approved by Tirana Municipal Council, is prepared with the support of Programme Migration and Diaspora, financed by the German Government, and implemented by GIZ.

This Action Plan respects, protects, and fulfils the human rights of the people returned from migration, who aspire to build a new life in the Albanian Capital. Moreover, this Plan creates the conditions to engage the Diaspora through their human, economic and social capacities to enrich our society, to contribute to sustainable development at the local level.

Throughout the support of the German Government and Programme Migration and Diaspora, implemented by GIZ, so far, beside Tirana, Action Planes for Migration and Diaspora have also been drafted for 5 other Municipalities Korçë, Elbasan, Shkodër, Kukës, Dibër./p.s./