TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
AIS Newsletter May 2024
Disclosure Data on Donors of Political Party, 2011 – 2021, Transparency over the Financing of Electoral Campaigns Adriatic-Ionian Road Corridor. The Albanian Government applies Public Private Partnership PPP financing scheme Empowering fact-based journalism through Open and Linked Data - Media Impact, May 2024 
Disclosure Data on Donors of Political Party, 2011 – 2021, Transparency over the Financing of Electoral Campaigns
Open Data Albania database has published a list with 1431 names of donors from the three main Political Parties over the course of six electoral campaigns 2011-2021 period. Among them there are 40 donors that are legal entities and business companies. Donations from private individuals and companies account for 13% of the funding that Political Parties receive from State Budget. Donors in Election Campaigns must be subject to conflict of interest control such in the case when they were awarded public tenders and contracts. This type of control is mandatory by law, but no institution has the competence for these verifications. Thus, data opening on political party donors and easy online access is highly valuable for monitoring and direct oversight by the public. AIS/OpenDataAlbania has also previously advocated for the publication and opening in real-time of electoral funding and expenditure data during the Election Period, a process for which Political Parties have shown a lack of will to follow in every campaign.
Adriatic-Ionian Road Corridor. The Albanian Government applies Public Private Partnership PPP financing scheme
The Albanian Government has initiated another project backed by Public Private Partnership PPP financing schemes for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of the Milot-Fier road segment. This segment is part of the Adriatic Ionian Road Corridor, a strategic project for Southeast Europe, part of the expansion of the Trans-European Transport Network in the Western Balkans. The financing model that the Albanian Government has chosen for this infrastructure project is construction with funds from Private Companies, for which there is also a Guarantee for support with Public Money if the Concessionaire does achieve the targeted level of revenues from Road Users. So far, the Albanian Government has concluded the PPP competition and has already contracted for 3 of the 4 segments that comprise this Road Axis. Despite being an open international tendering procedure, participators in the process were only domestic business competitors and eventually, winners. This corridor aims to connect Central Europe and Northern Italy with the Ionian peninsula through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Greece. The Adriatic-Ionian Corridor from Italy to Greece will be about 1,500 km, with approximately 300 km or 20% of the total length running through Albania. Detailed information on the construction of the Albanian segment through PPP schemes are listed in this article, prepared by our analysts at OpenDataAlbania.
Empowering fact-based journalism through Open and Linked Data - Media Impact, May 2024
Even throughout May, numerous media reports in newspapers, television screens or web-portals were written based on evidence and information extracted from AIS / Open Data Albania databases. The organization continues to strengthen fact-based and quality journalism despite the struggle to secure the continuation its programs targeting the use of Open Data for Anti-corruption efforts. We have routinely assisted media representatives through info sessions, trainings or meetings held at the organization's offices. Every week, journalists are being supplied with OpenData and well-structured LinkedData on public tenders, public expenditures and businesses that were awarded the status of public contractors. This type of quality journalism demolishes propaganda, produces indisputable investigation pieces and sheds light on cases of conflict of interest, abuse of office or irregularities. For AIS providing journalists with well-structured, easily accessible and usable data on public expenditures and the distribution of public money has become a focal point of our operations. This becomes even more important in years like 2024, which precedes a general election campaign.
Albanian Institute of Science
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