Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 99-02-28

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From: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Changes in Albanian new families

[02] State enterprises sell goods worth US$18 million

[03] Private, state enterprises refuse to pay social insurances

[04] Teachers say economic reasons force pupils to abandon school

[05] Tapes with Albanian music die down longing of refugees for motherland

[06] Association "Refleksione" says maltreatment of kids exists

[07] Premier Majko has been most powerful person during 1998

[01] Changes in Albanian new families

The number of marriages has not changed in the recent years. The figures released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) say that 1995 recorded 26 989 marriages or 8.3 marriages per 100 inhabitants, in '96 some 27 690 or 8.4 per 100 inhabitants while 1997 recorded 24 111 marriages.

The average age of the people, who get married is 23 year old for young women and 27 year old for men.

Apart from a traditional family, another way of living has been noticed in the recent years called concubinage. However, this phenomenon was not accepted by the Albanian reality.

The number of young girls, who have become mothers, has been increased in the period of transition. Under the social economic conditions, the Albanian non-tolerant mentality as well as the lack of support by the state, these young girls face difficulties in their daily life. Many of them are forced to part with their children by sending them in private or social institutions.

Even emigration is one of the factors which have affected the fate of the Albanian families in the recent years. In search of better economic conditions many men have emigrated leaving their families in Albania.

In few cases this affects the relations in a family leading to contradictions and divorce. /dast/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] State enterprises sell goods worth US$18 million

Chief of the statistic office Elida Prifti said that an increase by US$5 million in comparison to 1997 showed not only an increase in production but also finding of new markets in and out of Albania to sell these products.

Prifti said that the factory of drinks and that of cigarettes, the biggest in Albania, have the largest volume in production from state enterprises.

Enterprises, which produce clothing for the third and sell their product in the foreign market have a considerable activity.

Mechanical and chemical industry, which have been known in city since 10 years ago, have remained "silent". /dast/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Private, state enterprises refuse to pay social insurances

Director of the local social insurance Luljeta Arapi said to ATA that non-budget enterprises had not cashed any contribution during 1997. 180 enterprises had been issued documentation by the tax office without reaching any contracts with the social insurance office in 1998.

So far, 546 physical persons and 139 enterprises have signed contracts with the office and there is a slight increase in percentage as regards obligations in comparison to last year. /dast/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Teachers say economic reasons force pupils to abandon school

A survey conducted by the center for the Protection of Children' rights in Albania in the framework of a project "Reasons for abandoning school - the future of education of Albanian children," financed by the Albanian Foundation of Open Society, interviewed 2 802 pupils and 328 teachers from 11 districts both in rural and urban areas.

Pupils and students justify their act with the need to work or because their family does not allow them to follow lessons.

While 53.2 percent of teachers think that the main reason forcing pupils to abandon school are economic reasons. 35.3 percent think that immigration is another reason while 38.1 percent of teachers say different social factors affect them.

Meanwhile, 51.2 percent of teachers think that one of the reasons is the poor level of education in the family.

Who is responsible for the act of abandoning school? 63.7 percent of the teachers blame the state for failing to implement the law, 57 percent blame the family while 25.9 percent think that a bad society is responsible for that. /dast/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Tapes with Albanian music die down longing of refugees for motherland

One of them told ATA that "during the summer holidays, but also in winter, when most of the Albanian refugees come home, selling of cassettes increases.

Selling of cassette with music from Kosova has also increased recently. Thousands of Kosovars, accommodated in the district of Durres, but also hundreds of others, who move in the sea port, are those who buy cassettes with Albanian songs. /dast/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] Association "Refleksione" says maltreatment of kids exists

Based on this poll, some 83 per cent of the parents think that the physical maltreatment exists.

The polls, carried out recently in Albania, point out that 53 per cent of the children who experience physical abuse, are beaten, kicked and hit with different objects. Some 52.4 per cent of them suffer the emotional abuse and feel offended, not important, frightened and threatened.

Some 13.5 per cent are sexually abused, by being used for films or pornographic shots, prostitution and others. More than 68 per cent of the children say they wanted to talk to a specialized person, while 29.4 per cent confess that they wanted to have a telephone number.

The public awareness for the problems regarding the physical maltreatment of kids has been turned actually into a necessity. /dast/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Premier Majko has been most powerful person during 1998

The reports have been brought by a study, carried out last year by ORT/USAID (Democracy Network Program/United States Agency for International Development), which has interviewed more that 1600 persons from all districts of Albania.

According to these reports, more than 50 per cent of the interviewed think that the person who had more powers in Albania has been the Prime Minister.

A small number of the interviewed think that the Albanian Parliament was more powerful and then the government as a whole had more power than the others. Meanwhile, a small number of people define the President as the most powerful personality.

Among the responses, given by the interviewed, we mention "no one is powerful in Albania," "the international community," and others, but their number has been very small. /dast/mt/

From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ata

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