World Bank helps Albania’s social services

TIRANA, April 7 – Albania and the World Bank on Monday signed the credit agreement for the World Bank Additional Loan on Social Services Delivery Project, totaling 5 million USD.
This project was approved on March 17, 2009 by the World Bank Board of Directors.
This financing is targeted at making improvements in the efficiency and the effectiveness of the Albanian pension system by improving pension system administration, supporting institutional strengthening, including improved capacity for pension policy development and improving public understanding of the pension system
“The activities supported by this financing,” said Camille Nuamah, Country Manager for Albania, “will support the administrative reform of the pension system, develop the Central Archive of contributors and beneficiaries, build needed capacity for pension policy development, and promote public education on the pension system.”
“I thank the World Bank, said the Minister of Finance Ridvan Bode, “for the assistance offered to the social services sector in Albania and particularly to the Social Insurance Institute, as well as for the modernization of the pension system administration.”
The project was launched in January 2002 with the objective of improving the standard of living of poor and vulnerable population groups in Albania by:
Increasing their access to effective social care services;
Assisting the government to develop effective social care policy and improve its capacity for delivery and monitoring of social care services, and
Improving the efficiency and the effectiveness of the pension system.
To date, the original credit has supported service delivery in 43 daily care centers, offering services under newly developed service standards and policies to more than 25,000 beneficiaries from vulnerable groups. In addition, 13 residential care centers were supported to improve service delivery. Finally, the credit established the legal and strategic framework in the social care area and strengthened capacity at central and local government levels.
Albania joined the World Bank in 1991. World Bank commitments to the country to-date total approximately 1.4 billion USD for 68 operations.