World Bank report encourages further Albanian reforms

TIRANA, Oct 1 – Encouraged by a World Bank report ranking Albania second among the 10 most reform-minded countries worldwide, the Albanian government should now continue with further structural reforms.
In September the World Bank published its report “Doing Business,” in which it reviewed the enhancement of the world business climate for the 2007-2008 period. Albania ranked second among the 10 most reform-oriented countries worldwide because it has simplified conditions for business for 2007-2008.
According to the World Bank report, Albania was classified as the country that had the most advantageous climate for business, as compared to other southeastern European countries.
The regulatory governmental reforms initiated at the beginning of 2006, within a two-year period managed to accelerate the registering of businesses from 42 days to one day; eliminate from the system of business requests more than 180 licenses and permits; install an online tax payment system; and install a digital system for public procurement resulting in a reduction of 15 percent of total public procurement cost.
Albania is classified as second among the world’s 10 most reformatory countries.
The Albanian government should now ensure the continuation of these reforms, especially with the reforms in the private property sector and a modern system for population data, and aims at installing by March 2009 a center for permits and one-stop shop business licenses.
Starting from January 2009, Albania will use the digital system to issue biometric passports and identity cards to meet contemporary European and American standards.