New INSTAT director takes over

TIRANA, Oct. 23 – Gjergj Filipi, a research director at the Tirana-based AGENDA Institute, has been appointed the director of the country’s state Institute of Statistics replacing Ines Nurja, who has been dismissed under a government decision.
Filipi, who holds a PhD in international business and economics from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest has served as freelance consultant on several EU-funded projects in the areas of economic development and European integration and several international financial institutions.
The opposition Democratic Party denounced Ines Nurja’s replacement with Gjergj Filipi under a decision by the Prime Minister as illegal.
“The country’s statistics, a national pride also cited in all progress reports by the European Commission have undergone the severest assassination attempt and the Democratic Party’s warning of the capture of the country’s statistics and their placement under the rule of the new Prime Minister are today completely proven,” said Florion Mima, an opposition Democratic Party MP.
Prime Minister Edi Rama had recently announced a reform in what he called the politically controlled INSTAT to turn it into an independent statistical institute. He has suggested its twinning and management by an EU statistical institute for a five-year period so that the government controlled institute stays away from political pressure and influence.