TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
AIS Newsletter January 2025
Asset and Conflict of Interest Disclosure. AIS publishes Asset Declaration for Integrity Assessment of the High-Level Officials and Politicians Expanding Windows of Opportunity for Beneficial Ownership Transparency – Training and Advocacy for Best Practices State Budget and Public Funds Misused During Election Campaigns – Civil Society Experts and Institutions Call for New Electoral Legislation 
Asset and Conflict of Interest Disclosure. AIS publishes Asset Declaration for Integrity Assessment of the High-Level Officials and Politicians
Transparency, accountability, trust in governance, prevention of corruption, and the protection of the public interest are directly linked to public access to asset declaration documents. AIS has created a database where the official declarations of 2,000 individuals politicians, ministers, judges, prosecutors and high-level officials are published. The public institution responsible for providing public access to asset declarations does not ensure full transparency, restricting it through required registration and identification of the requester, along with delays in access. Our open-access asset declaration database operates as a “Watchdog for Integrity” and records thousands of citizens visits each month. Asset declarations serve to prevent, trace, investigate, and penalize corruption cases. These declarations help identify instances of illicit enrichment and conflicts of interest more easily.
Expanding Windows of Opportunity for Beneficial Ownership Transparency – Training and Advocacy for Best Practices
AIS, the promoter of Open Data Albania, is working to enhance transparency in Beneficial Ownership and the Final Ownership Registry. Under the project titled Expanding Windows of Opportunity for Beneficial Ownership Transparency, AIS carried out activities such as training, legal analysis, and advocacy for improvement. This project was supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and led by the International Republican Institute (IRI), with AIS as the local partner. Recognizing journalists as key actors in uncovering and tracking issues such as money laundering, corruption, and conflicts of interest, a training series was held to build capacity and deepen knowledge. A Policy Report highlighting the need to improve legislation was presented to several Members of Parliament. AIS is the founder and owner of Open Corporates Albania, a database aimed at improving access to information and transparency on the origin of ownership and connections of businesses that hold contracts, assets, licenses, or benefit from the public sector.
State Budget and Public Funds Misused During Election Campaigns – Civil Society Experts and Institutions Call for New Electoral Legislation
The state budget and public finances have been misused during election campaigns by the ruling political party. Experts affiliated with our organization presented evidence of these cases during a roundtable held shortly before the start of the official campaign period for May 11, 2025, Parliamentary Elections. State Election Commissioner Mr. Ilirjan Celibashi, invited to the roundtable, emphasized that the current electoral legislation does not provide effective solutions for preventing the misuse of the state budget during elections. He stated that after the 2025 elections, the country must undertake a reform of the electoral legal framework. AIS-affiliated experts Mrs. Lindita Lati Milo and Mr. Viktor Gumi highlighted cases such as: Prohibited procurements during election periods; Special legislative changes to the State Budget; Deepening of public debt; Payments from the State Treasury in violation of the budget; Bonuses and employment beyond what is legally permitted; This event was held as part of the project "EU4 Rule of Law: Citizen Engagement for Public Integrity (CEPI) in the Western Balkans and Turkey," where AIS is one of the implementing organizations.
Albanian Institute of Science
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