The Albanian Gazette publishes: The State Supreme Audit (SSA) reveals that Deputy Prime Minister Balluku added 50 million Euros to her portfolio, questions over the legality of a Normative Act. Media Report Link

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The State Supreme Audit (SSA) reveals that Deputy Prime Minister Balluku added 50 million Euros to her portfolio, questions over the legality of a Normative Act. Media Report Link

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Link of the article

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Call for Applications to Participate in DataThon 2024

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The AIS organization, a promoter of Open Data for Albania, in collaboration with the OSCE Presence in Albania, invites you to apply to be part of the Marathon for Open and Transparent Data, DataThon 2024.

This year’s Open Data Marathon is dedicated to young people and will focus on state budget data and public finances.

The event will be held in Tirana in the early days of July.

We invite and welcome applications from young people who wish to empower themselves in financial education with principles and models of open budget and participatory budgeting.

Who can apply:

  • Young people aged 20 to 30 years old
  • Students, professionals, economists, lawyers, activists, researchers, or data enthusiasts
  • Young people who wish to participate and contribute to awareness and civic activism

How to apply: Fill out the Application Form with information related to your identity, education, profession, and engagement. Don’t forget to provide your contact details and a reason why you wish to be part of DataThon Albania 2024.

How much time do I need to commit? In the upcoming weeks, successful candidates will be invited to a kick-off event, and two workshops or info sessions. During these Startup-style events, the topic selection, group division, monitoring, database presentation, data collection, and analysis will take place.

In a final DataThon event, each participant will present graphs, visualizations, analyses, and civic viewpoints on a topic related to Transparent and Participatory Budgeting.

What happens after the Marathon?

  • The best works will be published on the AIS project page ‘FollowtheMoney.al’
  • The most outstanding participant will be engaged at AIS/OpenDataAlbania as an analyst staff with a 3 to 6-month contract
  • Promotion and Creativity for participants
  • Networking with young data enthusiasts

Background:

DataThons are open, creative, motivating, useful, and awareness-raising events. The word DataThon comes from Data+Marathon. DataThons can be organized anytime by groups with a desire and passion for data and interest in a topic or sector. In Albania, the first DataThon was held in December 2011 by the AIS, promoter of OpenDataAlbania. Since then, AIS has organized open marathons every year, such as DiploHack, DataThon, and Hackathon with the most recent one was in April 2023.

For questions, email [email protected]

Join the most Creative and Intelligent Marathon!!

#DataThonAlbania2024

#OpenBudget

#YouthFinancialEducation

#ParticipatoryBudgeting

#OpenDataAlbania

 

The Media Impact for “Open Data, Access and Transparency over sectors exposed to Risk of Corruption” Project. This Week in the Media – corruption in tenders, conflicts of interest and nepotism uncovered. Factual, Evidence and Open Data based Journalism

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Dear friends,

The organization and the team working at AIS are pleased to note that journalists from pluralist medias in the country have disclosed dozens of corruption stories in the last week, using open #OpenData and linked data #LinkDATA from the databases owned by AIS, otherwise known as OpenDataAlbania.

The data used was extracted from:

1. Public Tenders Marked with Red Flag (OpenProcurement.al),
2. Data over Treasury Transactions Payments (spending.data.al),
3. Data present in the Asset Declarations of Senior Officials and
4. Open data concerning Businesses awarded Public Contracts and Projects (OpenCorporates.Al)

Journalists have built stories raising allegations of corruption and conflicts of interest at the high levels of the Central and Local Government

Evidence Base Approach and Factchecking Data are two important tools for Qualitative and Investigative Journalism. A free and pluralist media, as well as a journalists’ prerogative to tell the truth cannot work without the information, access and the databases that guarantee transparency and accountability.

We have listed below some of the Media Reports from this week, which involve corruption stories uncovered thanks to our open databases #OpenDataAlbania

The Albanian Gazette publishes: The State Supreme Audit (SSA) reveals that Deputy Prime Minister Balluku added 50 million Euros to her portfolio, questions over the legality of a Normative Act. Media Report Link

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The online media BoldNews writes: Veliaj (the Mayor) awarded 130 thousand Euros in tendering to one of his director’s sister. Investigation Link

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BalkanWeb published the following article: Suspicion of Corruption: how the Turkish company was favored for the Llogara Tunnel, the winner made the most expensive offer, the diversion with the Subcontractors’ papers. Read Original Media Link

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Panorama Web writes: The Shell Business Scheme (shell scheme in the Netherlands) that is “biting the head” off Ilir Beqaj. Vetting reveals PPP threads. Who are the owners and how they maneuvered with shareholders in offshore and shell companies  News Link

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NewsBamob reports: Actuality. 175 suspicious municipal tenders. They don’t fear SPAK. Link to the online article

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Gazeta Panorama published the article: Vetting reveals what has been going on behind-the-scenes. Balluku (Deputy Prime Minister) the bandmaster of  the Llogara tunnel’s tendering – the project’s supervision awarded to Berberi’s partner (former Albanian Road Authority director in the prison on charges of corruption) News Link

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Syri TV investigation: The Plug Show – The companies of Kujtim Qefaliaj’s (MP) son-in-law awarded 76 tenders by Erion Veliaj (the Mayor) Investigation Link

Ora News Evening Interview. Brahaj reveals that we don’t have Foreign Strategic Investors, they are the same ones that receive concessions and public tenders. Interview Link

The online media Fjala published the article: The names of the ten companies that benefited 6 billion Euros from the State Treasury. News Link

The Reporter platform published the following analysis: The Application of Artificial Intelligence in Tendering can turn into an alibi for corruption. Article Link

The online media Gogo: Here’s the companies that bought land all over the country for 1 Euro. Online Article Link

Despite the positive results in strengthening and promoting quality journalism, investigative journalism, evidence-based reporting and fact-checking, the organization AIS, promoter of Open Data Albania, is encountering numerous difficulties in its line work, one of the most significant being faced with Lack of Funding Opportunities to guarantee the continuity of its operations, which has compelled the organization to ask for help, in the last few weeks, for financing and donor support. Read More

Anti-corruption projects face challenges; in risk of closure due to absence of funds and donors. Help us to work as a Watchdog NGO. Support Open Spending Albania database, disclosing Treasury Transactions

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Dear Friends and Partners,

The AIS organization, known as OpenDataAlbania, is reaching out to you with a pressing concern. We are facing the imminent closure of OpenSpendingAlbania due to lack of funds and donor support. Our database is vital for transparency, accountability, activism, and anti-corruption efforts.

Currently, tracking data through our databases shed light and denounce corruption, clientelism, and cases of conflict of interest every day among high officials in the local and central governments.

Our Databases provide evidence for (i) every treasury transaction, (ii) public tender passports (iii) public tender awards along with redflagged ones, and (iv) asset declarations of politicians and officials. This comprehensive database supports investigative cases and stories, utilized not only by journalists, activists, and political parties but also by anti-corruption institutions.

Exactly at this critical moment in the fight against corruption and abuses of public authority and assets, our databases, which play a crucial role in evidence-based fact-checking and monitoring the misuse of funds and assets, have been deprived of funding and support from donors. Hence, AIS appeals to potential donors for financial assistance

From 2016 to 2018, the Embassy of the Netherlands supported the instrument as part of the Money, Government, and Politics project, followed by support from the Swedish Embassy from 2021 to 2023. Despite AIS Organization’s efforts to secure refinancing, it has been unable to obtain the necessary funds to continue operating as a watchdog NGO and support activists and journalists.

The Treasury Transactions Database stands as an important instrument for Transparency, Good Governance and Anti-corruption. OpenSpendingAlbania enables citizens to understand how taxpayers’ money are spent. Since 2012, it has disclosed and made transparent every transaction from Budget Institutions to beneficiaries. The nation’s boldest journalists and activists rely on Treasury data to uncover instances of misuse, corruption, nepotism, and conflicts of interest.

The transparent nature of this well-structured database has revealed widespread public abuse, particularly during election periods. Notably, transparency in treasury transactions led the initiation of procedures to revoke a Member of Parliament’s mandate in the Constitutional Court due to conflicts of interest.

AIS/OpenDataAlbania’s efforts to empower the public, activists, and anti-corruption agencies with transparent data on abusive cases have faced resistance from individuals in power and their affiliated businesses. Additionally, there have been unsuccessful attempts at cyber-attacks.

The fight against corruption, activism, and the empowerment of watchdog actors continues to be crucial aspects for countries like Albania. The Justice Reform and the establishment of new institutions still require efforts to consolidate results in the fight against Autocracy and Impunity.

We request your support through open call notices or by exploring grant funding opportunities. This is essential to prevent the closure of one of the most significant instruments for enhancing transparency, accountability, and the watchdog culture in Albania.

We are open to your support and collaboration, with the sincere intention of securing a new grant to sustain and prevent the closure of the OpenSpendingAlbania database.

Thank you in advance.

Event: Media dhe Parlamenti: Mbikëqyrja e Financave Publike dhe Raportimi i Buxhetit të Shtetit

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AGJENDA

Event:
Media dhe Parlamenti: Mbikëqyrja e Financave Publike dhe Raportimi i Buxhetit të Shtetit

Organizator:
AIS, promotor i Open Data Albania

Projekti dhe Partneriteti:
“Rritja e përgjegjshmërisë së Parlamentit ndaj shqetësimeve të qytetarëve” një projekt i mbështetur nga Ambasada Britanike në Tiranë dhe zbatuar nga një konsorcium, i drejtuar nga IDM, në partneritet me Citizens Channel dhe AIS

Vendi:
Salla Praga, Hotel Rogner Tirana

Data:
Mars 29, 2024

 

Agjenda:

Kliko këtu

 

Workshop: With the participation of representatives from the Parliament and Supreme State Audit Administrations

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Workshop:
With the participation of representatives from the Parliament and Supreme State Audit Administrations

About aspects on participation, monitoring, and dialogue with citizens during the drafting and reporting of public finances.

The workshop can also be considered as a follow-up to the previous event held on January 31, 2024, titled “Oversight of Public Finances, on the Role of Parliament, Institutions and Civil Society”.

Organizer:
AIS, promotor of Open Data Albania

Project and Partnership:
Increasing Parliament’s Responsiveness to Citizens’ Concerns, Project supported by the British Embassy in Tirana and implemented by a consortium led by IDM, in partnership with Citizens Channel and AIS

Venue:
Hotel Tirana Marriott, Vjosa Hall, 3rd Floor

Day:
March 1, 2024

 

Agenda:
Download here

 

Training: Civil Society and the role of the Parliament in the Drafting, Consultation and Approval Process of the State Budget

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Training Agenda
Malësi e Madhe, March 08rd, 2024

Title:
Civil Society and the role of the Parliament in the Drafting, Consultation and Approval Process of the State Budget

Organized by:
AIS, promotor of Open Data Albania

Project and Partnership:
Increasing Parliament’s Responsiveness to Citizens’ Concerns, Project supported by the British Embassy in Tirana and implemented by a consortium led by IDM, in partnership with Citizens Channel and AIS.

Objective:
Building the capacities of CSOs, activists and local media to contribute in the planning of the state budget and public spending policies

Area:
Districts of Lezhë; Dibër; Shkodër; Kamzë; Kukës; Tiranë; Malësi e Madhe

Target group:
Representatives of Civil Society; Activists and Local Journalists

Project Preview
With the support of the British Embassy in Tirana, the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) in partnership with Citizens Channel and the Albanian Institute of Sciences (AIS), will implement the project “Increasing the responsiveness of the Parliament to citizens’ concerns”. This project aims to strengthen the Parliament’s efforts to foster an enabling environment for inherent engagement of citizens in the policy and legislative processes in the country, as a means of promoting public interest and building trust in the institution.

Activity Preview
The Training, aims two of the targeted districts, aims to increase the capacities of civil society, allowing them to improve their understanding of the Budgeting process and enable their participation in the Budgeting cycle in the Parliament. The training aims to strengthen comprehension and monitoring skills in regards to the Drafting, Approval and Reporting Process of the State Budget in the Parliament, as well as raise responsiveness and participation capabilities during the phases of Planning and Approval of the State Budget and policies concerning Public Finances. Another aims of the training is to inform about the existing legal instruments who allow for participation, proposals or hearings in the Parliamentary Committees.

Target group:
Representatives of Civil Society; Activists and Local Journalists.

Agenda: Download here