ODA publishes well-stuctured data for corporates that functions as media associations

Shoqëri Biznesi (alb): Open Corporates Albania that functions as Media

Through the publication in one of its sections the Open Data Albania Portal makes possible the visualization of data on Media Associations.

 The data gives information on:

  • The Media Associations in Albania
  • Their legal form
  • Who are the shareholders and the associates
  • Their annual profit

These data are available to the section Open Corporate Albania by selecting at Corporate Category “Media Associations”.

 The illustration in the attached image 1 shows how to select the category

 Up to now there are 111 Audio-Visual Media subjects

Once you have clicked one subject demonstrated in an alphabetical order (first with a letter A) like AV N. By clicking you can see the general information of the company. Then you can click the visualization that display pictures on the companies profit  over years, the distribution of capital by the associates and shareholders of the company.

Clicking at the Treasury Transactions  are displayed all the values that AVN has benefited from budgetary institutions. In this case the company has received 3 transactions from 2 institutions.

Attached the illustration (figure 2) indicates where to click for further information on the company.

Like for the AVN you can find data about 111 media subjects.  The section provides information on companies suspended or closed.

You are pleased  to use such information without restriction, but always with the suggestion to quote the indicated portal where the data is available. At the same time at the Open Corporates Albania you can find data for different  sectors and companies.

shoqerimediatike-oda avn-oda

The Ambassador of Kingdom of the Netherlands in Albania visited AIS

The Embassy of Kingdom of the Netherlands supports the Albanian Institute of Science in our ‘Money, Government & Politics’ project. This project intends to address issues of abuse, corruption and conflict of interest in the context of governance and politics in the country by sharing public data on expenditures of state institutions, electoral spending and the wealth of high state officials. On 8th of October Ambassador Dewi van de Weerd visited the offices of the Albanian Institute where she had a discussion with Mrs. Aranita Brahaj and her team on the ongoing projects in publishing data on the online platforms (http://open.data.al/en and http://spending.data.al/en) in a standardized format, which makes it easier for citizens, journalists and civil society to analyze and compare the large datasets that are made available by the Albanian government. The comparison and analysis of such data increases transparency and accompanied by public discussion these projects can lead to meaningful change. Her Excellency strongly appreciated our projects and stated that the Embassy will continue to support great initiatives undertaken by AIS.

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Declaration of assets of Senior Officials at Open Spending Albania

 In the framework of Money, Government and Politics program, updated data are released in Spending Data Albania portal, Money and power” column, about declared assets of Members and Ex-members of the Council of Ministers as well as their relatives’ assets. The data are published in compliance with access to information, transparency and accountability principles and after the model applied by the High Inspectorate for the Declaration of Assets.

  • Through these publications every journalist or citizen can be informed on the annual income of the prime minister, former prime minister and members or former members of the Cabinet.
  • A feedback on non-wage income such as income from rents, bargains, intellectual property, gifts, opening of inheritance acts etc. is also interesting.
  • Another interesting detail concerns their enrichment and expansion of assets via legalizations, privatization and transformation of agricultural land into land plots (with a growing value) at the time of their stay in office and through decisions made via bylaws.
  • In case of employment of the family members through declarations, we can provide information on labor relations in the public or private sector and in some cases investigative journalists can assess whether it is necessary to undertake an investigation on possible conflict of interest.
  • Especially interesting is the fact that how senior government leaders have chosen to invest in pension funds, privatization vouchers or stock markets.
  • Statements also contain information on their income abroad such as credits in foreign banks and real estate outside the country.
  • You can also find 2014 data for MPs, Members of the High Council of Justice HCJ and Supreme Court. This portal generally contains declarations of assets in various years for about 325 entities liable to declare their income and assets.

 As we would like to thank you for your attention, we want to remind you on the eventual use of the data contained in our publications without any restriction. But on the other hand we would like that you always cite Spending Data Albania portal, Money and Power column, developed in the framework of our organization project AIS titled Money, Government and Politics.

Annual income and change of assets 2014, members and former members of the Council of Ministers

http://www.spending.data.al/sq/moneypower/list/pos_id/6

http://www.spending.data.al/sq/moneypower/list/pos_id/22

http://www.spending.data.al/sq/moneypower/list/pos_id/4

http://www.spending.data.al/sq/moneypower/list/pos_id/5

http://ais.al/new/

Information on Declaration of the Senior Judges assets

In the framework of Money, Government and Politics program, updated data are released in Spending Data Albania portal, “Money and power” column, about assets declared by Senior Judges and members of the High Council of Justice HCJ as well as their relatives’ assets. The data are published in compliance with principles of access to information, transparency and accountability. Personal data are protected by filters applied according to the model provided by the High Inspectorate for the Declaration of Assets.

  • Through these publications every journalist or citizen can be informed on the annual income of the Judges of the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court and Members of the High Council of Justice.
  • Income from double employment in the private sector (mainly nonpublic universities) or in the nonprofit sector (entities registered as foundations or organizations) is considered as an interesting detail. Journalists as well as citizens are invited to analyze whether such non-public entities or their heads, who are at the same time employers of senior judges are parties to proceedings scrutinized in these courts.
  • The model applied for open data journalism concerning the assessment of conflict of interest, is also applied for interest based relations with private companies, which have been mentioned in the statements of the judges due to contracts of sale, lease, enterprise or exchange of real estate with a judge or family persons under the declaration.
  • An interesting information is also that on non-wage income such as incomes from rents, bargains, intellectual property, gifts, opening of an inheritance act etc.
  • In case of employment of family members through declarations, you may get an information on labor relations in the justice system something that will enable you to assess if it is necessary to control conflicts of interest and professional impartiality.
  • The statements contain also information on loans and borrowings.
  • You can also find 2014 data for MPs, Members of the Council of Ministers or other constitutional and independent institutions. This portal generally contains declarations of assets in various years for about 325 entities liable to declare their income and assets.

You can find other open and transparent data on Treasury Transactions, Concessionaire Register, Tax Calculator (on salary) and the Budget.  As we would like to thank you for your attention, we want to remind you on the eventual use of the data contained in our publications without any restriction. But on the other hand we would like that you always cite Spending Data Albania portal, Money and Power column, developed in the framework of our organization project AIS titled Money, Government and Politics.

Workshop with Journalists: Open Spending Initiative

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Our organization AIS on 10th of October, 2015 at 10.30 am held a workshop with journalists involved in the Open Spending Initiative. Open Spending Initiative consist in creating a Network of  affirmed local journalists, engaged in informing the public on expenditures of budgetary institutions in Albania.

The workshop presented instruments and well-structured data which increase the level of information and citizens monitoring of finances and public assets. Open and linked data create a space for controlling and minimizing the cases of abuse, conflict of interest and nepotism. The event was organized in the framework of Money, Government and Politics.

Program :

10:30 – 11:00

Aranita Brahaj

Executive Director (AIS)

Data on Open Corporates Albania, Control of Conflict of Interest

11.00 – 11.25 

Leonard BAKIPLLARI

Investigative Journalist MAPO and Albanian Association of the Journalist for Justice (SHGD)

Declaration of Assets of High Level officials, Investigation of Wealth Sources

11:25 – 11:45 

Shefiko HAJNA

Open Spending Albania

Treasury Monitoring, Citizens control over Public Spending

11:45 – 12:05 

Blerta TUCI, AIS

Employers Taxation, Tax Calculator (Daily Bread) as an instrument that provide citizens with public services

12:10 – 12:30

Besjana HYSA, AIS

Linked Data on Public Spending and Declaration of Assets of Senior officials

12: 35- 12: 55                                        

Questions and Discussions

Indicators about the participants:

Journalist engaged in Tirana and Local Media: 14 /11

Gender Ratio: Men: 11, Women: 14

Years of experience in the media: 7+ years: 17, 5-7 years: 4, 3-5 years: 3, 0-3 years: 1

Participants in the workshop: 25

Total registered: 30

List of registered journalists:

 

AIS in Court against the three main parties: Transparency on Electoral Donors

The preliminary court session between AIS and the three main political parties will be held on 5th of October 2015 at the Administrative Court of Tirana. AIS has indicted the Socialist Party (PS), the Democratic Party (DP) and the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) to the right of information on their electoral financing.

The main issues to be reviewed are: the AIS complaint and the legal interpretation of whether the public has the right to know in real time who is funding the electoral campaigns of the major parties in the country.

Political Parties request to information: http://ais.al/new/en/political-parties-and-access-to-information-on-electoral-financing-ais-complaint/

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Lawsuit act

Court Call document

AIS participant at the Telecenter Europe Conference

Albanian Institute of Science as a member of Telecenter Europe Network participated at the annul Conference held in Beograd between 24-25 of September. Issues of employment in the ICT sector at the european market and the capacity building over different target groups were the main focus of the conference. Moreover the conference served to present the online program I-LINC a program that provides online traning for capacity building in the europenan market. The platform targeted mainly young people from East-Europe. The second day of the conference focused more on the e-Participation and the implementation of e-UROPA program, on which Albania is a beneficiary.

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Jora Risto announced as e-Participation Ambassador for Albania

e- Participation awards on 8th of December at the European Parliament in Brussels

Albanian Institute of Science as a member of the Telecenter Europe Network within the e-UROPA project during May–September 2015 organized the online competition “My e-participation Story”. The competition aimed the collection of the most significant stories related to the use of e-participation solutions that raised awareness among the young generation on a social problematic. Twelve winners were announced simultaneously in twelve countries. Awards will be given on 8th of December 2015 at the European Parliament in Brussels. The best compelled story from Albania is submitted by Jora Risto student at the Faculty of Medicine in Tirana. The story is titled “The Albanian November Students” and refers to the civic engagement and protest against the dismantling of Syrian chemical weapons in Albania. There were six stories submitted at the national level that dealt with migration and free movement issues. Furthermore, the winner was evaluated during the annual conference of Telecenter Europe which took place on 24-25th of September. The awarded story will be published in a brochure together with 11 stories from the other European participant countries at the website of Europa Participation. This competition was realized as part of the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union.

Read the story here: Albanian November Students

Video:

Pictures from the protest:

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Albanian Institute of Science participates at the OGP Dialogue for Western Balkans

On 10- 11 September AIS participated at the Open Government Partnership Dialogue for Western Balkans. The main purpose of the event was the exchange of experiences and the consolidation of policies on the well-functioning of Open Government Partnership. AIS as a non-profitable and non-governmental organizations through Open Data Albania project has contributed not only to the implementation of OGP principles, but also in establishing good models for open government. As a member of the OGP Albanian Coalition, AIS took part at the Open Data panel that aimed to explore the benefits and challenges of opening up public data in the Western Balkan countries. In addition, AIS has implemented a unique model of open data catalogue where the opening up of governmental data is an initiative of civil society and not of the government itself.

 OGP Declaration for Open Governance in Albanian

AIS – 3rd International Summer School on Open and Collaborative Governance, 2015

Albanian Institute of Science will participate at the 3rd International Summer School focusing on Technologies and Applications for Open and Collaborative Governance, organized by the Department of Information and Communication Systems Engineering, University of the Aegean taking place in Samos, Greece from 29th June – 3rd July 2015.

In this activity AIS /Open Data Albania will be represented by two of its members, Ms. Shefiko Hajna, an Open Data Analyst and Ms. Marilda Mancka, one of the founders of the organization and Open Data Albania working group.

OpenGov2015 Summer School will enable participants’ involvement in “Open and Collaborative Governance” issues such as: open data, crowdsourcing, accurate and analytical modeling and simulation tools, data analysis, mining and visualization technologies.

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