Debate and Policy Paper on “Financial Control of State-Owned Corporates” (Standards, Chapter 32 of EU Integration)

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The organization AIS, promoter of Open Data Albania, organized on May 31st, a Debate and Presentation of a Policy Paper on the topic of Financial Control of State-Owned Corporates (SOC – State Owned Corporates).

Financial Control, as in chapter 32, part of Cluster 1, in the process of fulfilling the conditions and standards for Integration.

State Owned Enterprises or Companies are a risky sector in terms of management and control of finances and assets. The Integration Process targets efforts and models which in the SOC sector are far from meritocracy management, effective performance, sound financial management and multi-level auditing.

The Policy Paper, drafted by AIS, was presented by the expert Professor Dr. Lindita Milo (Lati). The document analyzes the situation in the country and presents findings and recommendations for progress. This document was formulated as part of the C1-EU-NPA project, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana.

The complete document in Albanian and English.

51 Parties have benefited ALL 2.17 billion from Taxpayers in 10 years 2011-2022

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AIS has just published an article on the Open Data Albania page showing the Public Money Value that Political Parties have received in 10 years. 2011 – 2022. The data provided in the article disclose public funding from taxpayers’ money distributed to (51) Beneficiary Parties1), by Year abd by type of funding, i.e. annual or electoral funding, etc. The reference used for each data is taken from the Spending Data Albania Treasury Transactions database. This article was created by the youth team working at AIS organization as part of an Open Data Network and was first presented at the Open Data Albania Event. Article Link: Treasury Transfers for Political Parties 2012-2022 – Open Data Albania (ndiqparate.al)
Some of the data:
  • In ten years, 2012-2021, Political Parties have benefited from public funding in the amount of 2.174 billion ALL.
  • ALL 1.784 billion are allocated to the regular annual activity of political parties, while ALL 390 million have been allocated to electoral campaigns (General Election 2013, Local Election 2015, General Election 2017, Local Election 2019, and General Election 2021).
  • Budget expenditures as support for Political Parties for their Election Campaigns have been in the amount of 65 million ALL until 2021, while this year these transfers have doubled to 130 million ALL.
  • Public financing for electoral campaigns for Political Parties accounted for about 20-27% of the total public financing for parties during the years 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019, while in 2021 it accounted for almost half or 47%.
  • On average, in an electoral year, 265 million ALL were transferred from the State Budget as support for political parties, while in non-electoral years, 170 million ALL or 36% less were allocated to the parties.
  • Treasury data show that over the years the Socialist Party is the one that has benefited from the highest value of transfers from the State Budget. The years 2012 and 2014, on the other hand, are the years when it was the Democratic Party the one that has benefited the most from public funds.
  • In total, there are 50 political parties that have managed to absorb funding from the State Budget in the years 2012-2021. In 2022, even Nisma Thurje Party managed to get funds from the state budget, bringing the number of political parties benefiting from transfers from the state treasury to 51 parties.
Open Data Albania, the database owned by AIS, has disclosed year after year data on the funding and costs of election campaigns and political parties. You can read a group of articles in the Electoral Expenses section or in the Electoral Processes section. Being committed to contributing to transparency and improvement of electoral situations, AIS has developed methodologies and projects for Election Citizen Monitoring. The organization is already working on raising funds for such methodologies and projects to be implemented in the upcoming 2025 parliamentary elections.

Debate and Policy Paper on “Financial Control of State-Owned Corporates” (Standards, Chapter 32 of EU Integration)

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The organization AIS, promoter of Open Data Albania, organized on May 31st, a Debate and Presentation of a Policy Paper on the topic of Financial Control of State-Owned Corporates (SOC – State Owned Corporates).

Financial Control, as in chapter 32, part of Cluster 1, in the process of fulfilling the conditions and standards for Integration.

State Owned Enterprises or Companies are a risky sector in terms of management and control of finances and assets. The Integration Process targets efforts and models which in the SOC sector are far from meritocracy management, effective performance, sound financial management and multi-level auditing.

The Policy Paper, drafted by AIS, was presented by the expert Professor Dr. Lindita Milo (Lati). The document analyzes the situation in the country and presents findings and recommendations for progress. This document was formulated as part of the C1-EU-NPA project, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana.

The complete document in Albanian and English.

Three expert panelists ellaborated and emphasized aspects of the sector, problems and the need for better standards and policies in management and auditing. Specifically:

Prof. Assoc. Dr. Ira GJIKA presented the Findings and Recommendations on Enterprise Management and Auditing

CFA. Irena BEQIRAJ The former Deputy Minister of Finances, presented some typical cases of poor SOC management, issues coming from party influences and the lack of meritocracy at the management level.

Prof. Assoc. Dr. Mateo SPAHO presented the EU models and standards of Financial Control over State Owned Companies, highlighting a far-from-positive situation in the Albanian context and the need for reform, independence and management through administrators with the proper skills and integrity.

At this event, the DataSet with dynamic passports for State Owned Corporates was also presented, a dataset incorporated in the Open Corporates Albania web database. The Director of AIS/Open Data Albania, Ms. Aranita BRAHAJ, explained the importance of information and transparency on the management, performance, legal issues and use of assets of important public companies. With a view to making these companies as transparent as possible, AIS has applied the Open Corporates Albania Open Business Register model. In this database, the information comes for each Company in a well-structured version applying OpenData and LinkData standards. The database for State Owned Companies is the result of the implementation of the project entitled Open Data Access and Transparency over sector exposed to Risk of Corruption, a project supported by Sida, the Sweden International Development Cooperation Agency (March 2021 – February 2024). The purpose of the project itself is to Promote Transparency and Inform the Public through Open Data.

The event was attended by representatives from Institutions Engaged in Financial Control and Auditing of the State Owned Companies Sector, such as

  • Ministry of Finances
  • High State Audit
  • Representatives from the Embassies of European countries
  • Representative of EU Delegation in Tirana
  • Academic representatives from Universities
  • ThinkTank Organizations
  • Media representatives
  • Members of the OpenData Fellowship Youth Network

List of participants.

Findings, Opinions or Recommendations Expressed in this document and in the organized event represent the views of the experts and the AIS organization, and do not necessarily correspond with those of the project partners or supporters.

Datathon Albania 2023

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DataThon Albania, a data marathon, took place on April 3rd and 4th, 2023. Over two days, young participants collaborate to create a dataset, analyze, visualize, and present the data.

AIS has previously organized events such as Hackathons, DataThons, or DiploHacks. This year, participants in the data marathon were young members of the OpenDataFellowship Network. The event aimed at Civic Education and empowering young people in data gathering and analysis, as well as presenting their finding to the public.

 

Monday and Tuesday, From 3 April, 09:00 to 16:30 and 4 April, from 17:00 to 18:30

Rogner Hotel, Antigonea Meeting Room

Topic of DataThon: Party Financing Data, Charts, Visualizations and Recommendations

The participants of DataThon Albania this year are young people from the OpenDataFellowship Network

 

Datathon Albania 2023 is organized by AIS, promoter of Open Data in Albania

This year, DataThon is held as part of the Open Data Access and Transparency Project activities

in sectors exposed to the risk of corruption, a project financially supported by

Sida – Sweden International Development Cooperation Agency

First Day of Marathon, April 3rd, from 09:00 to 16:30

Phase 1: Ideation from 10:30 to 12:00

Welcome Participants to the Marathon

Logistics

What is a DataThon?

How can data be collected for the Finances of Political Parties over the years

Working Teams are created for Lawyers: Statisticians; Economists; and Designers

Moderator: Aranita Brahaj & Fatjona Mejdini

12:00 DEADLINE – HAND IN YOUR PROBLEM ANALYSIS

Lunch 12:00 – 13:00

Phase 2: Prototyping 13:00 to 15:00

Phase 3: Preparing an elevator pitch from 15:00 to 16:30

Prepare an elevator pitch of Max 3 minutes on the idea MAX 1 visual

17.00 DEADLINE: HAND IN 1 VISUAL FOR ELEVATOR PITCH

 

 

Second Day of the Marathon, April 4rth, from 17:00 to 18.30

DataThon Albania Award Ceremony

Tuesday, April 4th, 17:00 – 18:30

Rogner Hotel, Antigonea Meeting Room

PRESENTATION OF THE TEAMS – KEY NOTE SPEECH – AWARDS AND DRINKS

Follow us

On the website of AIS http://ais.al/new/

On twitter @AIScience

on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OpenDataAlbania/

Where the Graph, Data and Visualizations of this Marathon are published

On the Open Data Albania web page

DataThon Albania 2023 is organized by @AIS, promoter of Open Data in Albania

Supported by Sida – Sweden International Development Cooperation Agency

 

 

 

Some Data-Sets, Graf and Data prepared in the frame of the DataThon Albania 2023 event:

AIS concerned: Central Election Commission has limited access to Documents and Information on previous Election Periods.

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For many weeks now (February 2023), the CEC official website lost touch with its database before 2020. This database contains Documents, Acts, Reports, Minutes and Decisions that represent the backbone of CEC activity and electoral campaigns developments. Similarly, while Albania gears up for the local elections, the previous 2019 campaign is darkened by a total lack of acts and information on the CEC website.

Although public access to these documents is a legal obligation, those are no longer accessible online for use by interested stakeholders. Specifically, missing from the pre-2020 campaigns are all:

  • Audit Reports and Financial Reports of electoral subjects and political parties;
  • Voter Turnover in each electoral zone;
  • De-criminalization Forms filled out by individuals running in the 2019 campaign;
  • Decisions of the Central Election Commission;
  • Complaints/Appeals and Minutes of institutional sessions;
  • Acts and Documents.

While CEC proclaimed initiatives to apply information technology, digitalization, and online reporting during 2023, it seems that website hosting and interoperability with the earlier database is a challenge that puts a big question mark on CEC’s capacities and will.

AIS is an organization that promotes access, transparency, and information. AIS holds that Data is Power and data must be made available to all stakeholders.

AIS filed a complaint on this denied access in the section Report of CEC website, and finds really concerning this shrank access to information on previous electoral campaigns and developments.

Truncated access, missing transparency, and irresponsibility in managing official documents represent a very risky aspect of how access to information may be used unilaterally.

DataThon Albania 2023 – Topic Party Financing Data, Charts, Visualizations and Recommendations

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Make Data Great Again

 

What is DataThon Albania 2023

DataThon is a marathon event where citizens work together to collect, analyze data and raise awareness about a specific topic. The word DataThon is a combination of Data plus Marathon. The work consists of data collection, analysis, comparison, structuring and visualization of information.

Usually, a specific topic or field is chosen and the engaged group focuses and has an interest in working in that field.

Instruments or apps are often developed in datathons to make the information as useful as possible. DataThon are events where citizens, activists, journalists, economists, lawyers, architects, and various professionals may participate as long as they have a passion and desire to work with data.

An inspiring event for DataThon Albania 2023 is also the EU DataThon

 

Who Organizes DataThon Albania 2023

Datathon Albania 2023 is organized by AIS, promoter of Open Data in Albania. AIS has previously brought events like DiploHack Tirana, Hackathon and DataThon.

This year, DataThon is held as part of the Activities of the Project Open Data Access and Transparency in the sector at risk of corruption, a project financially supported by Sida – Sweden International Development Cooperation Agency.

 

Where and when it will be held

April 3 and 4, 2023 at Antigonea Meeting Room, Rogner Hotel

 

Who will work on the data? What about the audience

This year, participants of DataThon Albania are young people from the OpenDataFellowship Network. This Youth Network was created to increase the capacities and skills of young people in matters related to anti-corruption . At the end of the Marathon, in the final presentation session, you are invited to participate and listen to the presentations of the young people with Data, Charts, Visualizations and Recommendations.

Featured Topic

This year, the Marathon will focus on Political Party Financing. The selected topic sheds light on the integrity of subjects very important for the democratic and pluralistic life of the country. The young people participating in the marathon will work to gather data on the expenses declared by the political subjects in the last ten years, the structure of their income, the types of expenses, the weight of the electoral expenses versus the total expenses, the issues related to transparency, difficulties with access, and party financing issues that require practices with more integrity.

 

Event Contribution and Output

Data, Charts, and Visualizations will be presented in the final stage. Young people will also submit recommendations, their perspectives on how to improve the rules and models of control or reporting of the Finances of Political Parties with a view to ensuring Integrity.

 

Where can we be informed?

On the website of AIS.al

On twitter @AIScience

On Facebook 

On the FollowTheMoney platform

 

Where the Graph, Dates and Visualizations of this Marathon are published

On the Open Data Albania web page

 

Not only DataThon

At this event, Certificates will also be distributed to the team of young people who have attended the first cycle of activities for capacity building as part of the OpenData Youth Network

 

 

Thirrje Anëtarësime te reja OpenData Fellowship Youth Network

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Rihapet Thirrja, Aplikoni deri ne datën 20 Prill

 

Bëhu Pjesë e OpenData Felloship Youth #Network

AIS për të dytin vit radhazi, hap aplikimet për të rinj që duan të punojnë dhe angazhohen me OpenData Youth Network, të rinj me përgatitje universitare të moshës 20 deri 30 vjeç janë të mirëpritur. Ky grup network do të trajnohet, aftësohet, bëhet pjesë e një program intensiv me qëllim aftësimin në analizë dhe artikulim ku të dhënat e hapura nxisin transparencën, mirëqeverisjen dhe antikorrupsionin. Gjatë një viti, është punuar me një network dhe disa nga eventet janë publikuar në web faqen tonë  Link

Lexo si vijon:

Mundësi për të punuar me ekipin #OpenDataAlbania
Je një Djalë apo Vajze e re, #Gazetar, #Student, #Ekonomist, #Fiskalist, #Politikan i Ardhshëm, #Analist, #Sociolog apo #Kërkues në një Disiplinë të caktuar
• Nëse ke dëshirë të Publikosh një apo disa artikuj në portalin Open Data Albania
• Nëse planet për Karrierën tuaj të ardhshme lidhen me sa më lart, një Rrjet Rinor të mirëpret për një program Afatshkurtër.
Ajo çka i duhet formimit tuaj profesional është edhe pak aftësim mbi përdorimin e të dhënave në artikulimin publik, vendimmarrjen, planifikimin dhe debatin.
Ne të ftojmë të Bëhesh Pjesë e OpenData Fellowship Youth Network
• Ju thjesht duhet të shpenzoni me Ne disa orë Praktikë çdo muaj për 4 muaj radhazi.
• Qëllimi final i procesit është forcimi i kapaciteteve dhe njohurive të një grupi rinor elitë që ka vokacion, talent dhe vullnet për tu angazhuar në artikulim publik.
• Procesi do të finalizohet edhe me publikimin e artikujve hulumtues në portalin Open Data Albania nga vetë të rinjtë duke u dhënë mundësinë të ndajnë me publikun fakte, analiza dhe parashtrime.

Mirëpresim të aplikojnë për angazhim të rinj mosha 20 deri 30 vjeç, në proces studimi universitarë apo të sapo diplomuar. Kusht është dëshira për tu fuqizuar përmes të dhënave, informacionit dhe njohurive.
Të rinjtë duhet të kenë dëshirë të përmirësojnë aftësinë e tyre artikuluese dhe aftësinë për tu përfshirë në diskutime të bazuara në argument dhe të dhëna.
Për aplikim dërgo email me titull Aplikim OpenData Felloship ne adresën [email protected] Ne aplikim duhet tekst ku njoftohen te dhëna si gjeneralitete, mosha, studimet, aftësitë, arsyet pse dëshiron te aplikosh.
Procesi ju Garanton:
• Rrjetëzim me Kolegë dhe Moshatar
• Puno dhe behu Autor Artikuj në Open Data Albania
• Referencë dhe Certifikatë për Eventin
• Fuqizohu duke njohur BigData
• Pagesë për çdo Artikuj të realizuar nga Ju dhe të Publikuar te OpenDataAlbania

Afati për Regjistrim data 20 Prill 2023.
Më të mirët do të ftohen për Intervistë pranë nesh,
Ky Network po krijohet në kuadër të Projektit Open Data, Access and Transparency over sectors esposed to risk of Corruption mbështetur nga SIDA përmes Ambasadës Suedeze në Shqipëri.

Për pyetje ju lutem na kontaktoni në [email protected].

Policy Paper – Integrity control of public contractors: EU practice and contracting in the Albanian context

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February, the Month of Civil Engagement for European Integration, began with an event of the Organization AIS, whose purpose was to present a Policy Paper titled “Control of the Integrity of Public Contractors, EU practices and contracting in the Albanian Context”, drafted in the frame of the C1-EU- NPA Project. His Excellency, the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana, Mr. Reinout Vos, was also in attendance at this event.

Aranita Brahaj, the head of the Organization, emphasized that many companies in the country that have acquired the status of Contractor in Public Procurement; Investor in State Assets or Public Licenses in Strategic sectors, are Shell or Offshore companies with unidentified beneficial owners, located in fiscal havens. This status raises questions about the control of integrity concerning companies, that are engaged in implementing Public Contracts in exchange of State Assets and Money from the Albanian Taxpayers.

The Policy Paper’s aim was to analyze the existing Practice of integrity control in EU countries and to identify what was lacking in the Albanian legislation and practice, weather it coincided with potential loopholes present or need for intervention. In conclusion, the organization also presented specific recommendations for legal amendments and incorporation of additional measures to the respective legislation on Public Procurement and the Law on the Declaration of the Beneficial Owner.

See the Policy Paper HERE

Conclusions and Recommendations were introduced in the presence of Parliament and Government Representatives. Ms. Klotilda Bushka, Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee in the Assembly and Ms. Jorida Tabaku, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Integration, spoke about the findings and proposals for legal amendments drafted by Civil Society. The General Director of the Public Procurement Agency, Ms. Reida Kashta, concurrently responsible for the EU negotiations concerning the Public Procurement Chapter, also attended the event.

The Policy Paper and the subsequent Event, were carried out in the frame of the C1-EU-NPA project “Improved Policy Debate and Accountability on delivering the Fundamentals First, to fulfill Basic Rights through the Establishment of Cluster I EU Negotiations Platform, Albania”, a project implemented jointly by four Albanian organizations: CSDG, ISP, KSHH and AIS, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana.

The document was drafted by AIS, in collaboration with the renown legal expert, Eduard Halimi. The organization AIS, in addition to its contribute through the preparation of Policy Documents and Recommendations, is also a promoter of Open Data platforms for the tracking, making transparent and verification of contracts and public contractors, more specifically through databases like Open Corporates Albania and Open Procurement Albania.

See the agenda HERE

“February, Month of Civil Engagement for EU Integration” started – AIS presented a Policy Paper on Integrity Control of Public Contractors, EU practice and the Albanian Context

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February, the Month of Civil Engagement for European Integration, began with an event of the Organization AIS, whose purpose was to present a Policy Paper titled “Control of the Integrity of Public Contractors, EU practices and contracting in the Albanian Context”, drafted in the frame of the C1-EU- NPA Project. His Excellency, the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana, Mr. Reinout Vos, was also in attendance at this event.

Aranita Brahaj, the head of the Organization, emphasized that many companies in the country that have acquired the status of Contractor in Public Procurement; Investor in State Assets or Public Licenses in Strategic sectors, are Shell or Offshore companies with unidentified beneficial owners, located in fiscal havens. This status raises questions about the control of integrity concerning companies, that are engaged in implementing Public Contracts in exchange of State Assets and Money from the Albanian Taxpayers.

The Policy Paper’s aim was to analyze the existing Practice of integrity control in EU countries and to identify what was lacking in the Albanian legislation and practice, weather it coincided with potential loopholes present or need for intervention. In conclusion, the organization also presented specific recommendations for legal amendments and incorporation of additional measures to the respective legislation on Public Procurement and the Law on the Declaration of the Beneficial Owner.

Conclusions and Recommendations were introduced in the presence of Parliament and Government Representatives. Ms. Klotilda Bushka, Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee in the Assembly and Ms. Jorida Tabaku, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Integration, spoke about the findings and proposals for legal amendments drafted by Civil Society. The General Director of the Public Procurement Agency, Ms. Reida Kashta, concurrently responsible for the EU negotiations concerning the Public Procurement Chapter, also attended the event.

The Policy Paper and the subsequent Event, were carried out in the frame of the C1-EU-NPA project “Improved Policy Debate and Accountability on delivering the Fundamentals First, to fulfill Basic Rights through the Establishment of Cluster I EU Negotiations Platform, Albania”, a project implemented jointly by four Albanian organizations: CSDG, ISP, KSHH and AIS, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana.

The document was drafted by AIS, in collaboration with the renown legal expert, Eduard Halimi. The organization AIS, in addition to its contribute through the preparation of Policy Documents and Recommendations, is also a promoter of Open Data platforms for the tracking, making transparent and verification of contracts and public contractors, more specifically through databases like Open Corporates Albania and Open Procurement Albania.

See the agenda HERE

See the Policy Paper HERE

  • Mrs. Aranita Brahaj – Executive Director AIS/Open Data Albania

  • Mr. Reinout Vos – Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Albania

  • Mr. Eduard Halimi – Legal expert

  • Mrs. Jorida Tabaku – Chairperson, Parliamentary Committee for European Integration and Mrs. Klotilda Bushka – Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee Parliament

 

 

We work on Civic Education – Youth Empowerment in Anticorruption

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Empowering young people against corruption – this is the goal for which we created a group of young people, part of the OpenDataYouthNetwork, a year ago. In October, this team was trained on several important topics in anti-corruption analysis. Civic education and strengthening FactChecking Models on accountability are two important aspects of the organization’s activities and projects.  
  The work with young people and the expansion of the Network will continue with other events such as trainings, forums, individual sessions, publications by young people themselves on the web – FollowTheMoney blog. This network is the product of our work in implementing the Open Data Access and Transparency over sectors exposed to Risk of Corruption Project, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).