World Bank urges broader corruption fight

NEW YORK, Sep. 25 – World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick congratulated Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha Tuesday on Albania’s development progress and its increasing credit worthiness that has given it access to non-concessional World Bank financing offered to middle-income countries.
“Albania and the World Bank Group have enjoyed a strong and successful partnership in the fight against poverty, and facilitating economic development and strong growth,” said Zoellick, who met Berisha on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. “The breadth and outcomes of Albania’s far-reaching reforms implemented by successive governments and supported by the Bank since 1991 are a testimony to this strong partnership.”
At the same time, Zoellick commended Albania’s progress in fighting organized crime, but urged the government to show the same zeal in tackling corruption.
“The country has made sustained progress against organized crime but needs to continue its efforts to combat corruption, improve public service delivery, and attract higher levels of FDI,” he said.
When Albania joined the World Bank Group, it ranked as Europe’s poorest country. Today, average incomes in Albania have reached $2,980, real GDP growth has averaged seven percent during the last decade, and one quarter of the country’s poor people have been lifted out of poverty since 2002, making Albania a success story for the International Development Association (IDA), the Bank’s concessionary finance arm, which lends to the world’s poorest countries. As Albania successfully graduates from IDA to International Bank for Reconstruction and Development lending, President Zoellick expressed the Bank’s strong commitment to continue to support Albania’s development challenges and efforts to join the European Union.
It was agreed that the graduation from IDA to IBRD is a major success for Albania that will send a positive signal to investors and the financial markets.
During their meeting in New York, President Zoellick and Prime Minister Berisha also discussed infrastructure priorities in Albania at this time. Prime Minister Berisha requested increased World Bank assistance in several sectors such as transport, energy, health service delivery and cultural heritage preservation. President Zoellick underlined the commitment of the World Bank to supporting the government in these areas, while emphasizing the importance of economically viable public investment, and open and transparent processes for private sector participation.