Detention Centre in Vlora to get new equipment from EU

TIRANA, Jan.4 – The Tenders Electronic Daily, which is the supplement database to the EU’s Official Journal, reported on its website last week that the European Union would call a tender for new supplies to be given to the Vlora detention center. The tender will be organized on March 6 and potential candidates should file their applications by 4 pm one day earlier, on March 5. The tender aims at hiring a supplier of equipment for the pre-trial detention facility. This facility in the southern coast city of Vlora is intended to provide accommodation for all pre-trial detention inmates. It will have medical facilities, a visitors’ area, offices for the administration, and other necessary spaces. The capacity of the Vlora pre-trial detention centre, with an area of 6,700 square meters, is 115 detainees. The estimated cost of the construction of the pre-trial detention centre at Vlore is 1.5 million euro. The project will be financed by the EU’s CARDS program for the country for 2003. It is scheduled to be completed in September 2007. The cost for the supply services are covered by EU’s Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) program for Albania for 2004 under a project for renovation and construction of pre-trial detention centers worth 870,000 euro ($1.1 million). Both these projects are part of Albania’s strategy to improve the capacity of its penitentiary system and the living conditions of inmates.