OECD presents annual report on reforms

TIRANA, Dec. 4 – The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) presented on Monday in the Ministry of economy, trade and Energy its annual report on the Index of reforms and investments for Albania. The project is part of the Stability pact initiative for the South eastern European countries. The report aims at analyzing the progress in the reform initiatives for these countries and studies the period 2005- May 2006. It presents the general investment climate for each individual country. In the case of Albania notable progress has been done in trade related reforms and investment related promotions. The report congratulates the measures related to fiscal stability, the fight against corruption, the increase in competitiveness and the measures related to human resources and the increasing of their capabilities. Vice Minister Eno Bozdo presented the study as the head of the commission which prepares the index for Albania. Some of the concrete achievements that he listed were: the creation of AlbInvest, the Albanian agency that will help investments in the country, the legal package regarding concessions that will introduce a systematic approach to the procedure of concession-granting and other measures of a double economic and legal nature. Bozdo explained that the index is derived form 108 indicators, out of which 15 belong to investment related policies, 24 to the fiscal system, 13 to competitiveness, 8 to regulatory changes and 11 to human resources. He emphasized that the program aims at strengthening improvements in four different areas: assessment and monitoring of investments, support to reforms, enhancing dialogue between private and public sectors and support to economic policies of the corresponding Economy ministries.
The OECD groups 30 member countries sharing a commitment to democratic government and the market economy and has a wider global reach with active relationships with some 70 other countries and economies, NGOs and civil society. Its work based on statistics and publications covers economic and social issues from macroeconomics, to trade, education, development and science and innovation. The organization aims at fostering good governance in the public service and in corporate activity. It helps governments to ensure the responsiveness of key economic areas with monitoring by sector. The OECD produces internationally agreed instruments, decisions and recommendations to promote rules of the game in areas where multilateral agreement is necessary for individual countries to make progress in a global economy.