Supporting Public Procurement Best Practice and Instil a Watchdog Culture, Open Contracting in Albania

The Public Procurement sector represents risk number “One” for government corruption, with 30% of public expenditures allocated through tenders. AIS plays a crucial role in advancing Open Tendering Standards and strengthening the Watchdog model. The Open Procurement Database serves as a transparency and accountability instrument in tendering process. Passports containing information on all tendering phases are accessible for the Local Governments LGU, Health sector, Albanian Road Authority ARRSH, Albanian Development Fund and Public Companies.…

Media Businesses – Increased Profits in Election Years. Economic Power of Media Owners, Interests in licensed sectors, and state contracting

Open Data Albania has published an analytical article providing information on annual revenue and profits of Television Media Businesses. The data reveals higher profits and revenues in the electoral year of 2021 compared to preceding or subsequent years. Earlier, ODA released a report on the Economic Power of Audiovisual Media Owners, emphasizing that individual owners in TV companies own 10 to 39 other companies. Their connections and interests revolve…

Registry of Magistrates – Improve Access and Public Trust in Justice, Integrity after Vetting

The organization AIS presented the project “Access to Justice – Albanian Register of Magistrates” at a regional event in December with a focus on Knowledge and Idea Exchange for Open Governance. Alongside NDI Montenegro, activists and officials gathered in Budva to delve into various models and initiatives related to Open Governance. The Mine of Data, the Registry of Magistrates, showcases Passports containing information and documents for each judge and prosecutor, encompassing even those…

Audiovisual Media companies 2022 Revenue and Profit

Open Data Albania has examined the revenue and profit, for the year 2022, of the business company licensed as audiovisual media. Based on the International Accounting (IAS) and Financial Reporting Standards, revenue is the gross receipt of an economic return during a certain economic period, which is a common activity for an economic pension. The data used for research purposes were obtained from the National…

Magistrates pending the Vetting process after November 30, 2023, from a gender perspective.

According to letter no. 4556/2, dated 30.11.2023, from the Independent Qualification Commission, in response to the Albanian Institute of Sciences’ request dated 20.11.2023, it is evident that as of 30.11.2023, the preliminary re-evaluation has concluded for 712 subjects, which accounts for 84.4% of the total 805 subjects listed in the ex-officio document. It is projected that by 31.12.2024, the date when the constitutional mandate of…

Conference on Exchanging Knowledge and Ideas for Open and Transparent Governance – AIS presents the Justice Access database as an inspiring model for OGP in the Region

Justice Access – The Magistrates’ Registry is the latest database created by the AIS organization promoting open data for Albania. The Data Mining Magistrate’s Register is designed to increase access and public trust in the Critical Reform in the Judicial System. At the invitation of the National Democratic Institute NDI Montenegro, this Civil Society Initiative for Improving Access, Control, and Public Trust in Justice was…

Companies with Foreign Ownership in the List of the 100 Largest Companies by Revenue in 2022

Out of the 100 businesses that generated the highest revenues in 2022, 22 are owned by foreign citizens and entities, while 12 are under mixed ownership. These companies operate within our country. This article ranks the values associated with these companies and their annual turnover. The data for ranked values are based on turnover declarations in the Financial Statements submitted to the General Directorate of…

Open Contracting Albania Project – Impact on the Media

During the period of May to November 2023, data and products from the project titled ‘Instil a Watchdog Culture, Open Contracting Albania, and Red Flag Index Project’ have become part of the Information Sessions with Journalists and Media Representatives in the country. Using information and tender passports, journalists have prepared dozens of investigative articles shedding light on irregularities and issues within municipality tenders or Reconstruction…

Four years after the Earthquake. The government has no concrete results in mitigating its consequences. Problems with the Budget, corrupt tenders and serious cases of abuse

Four years after the Earthquake of November 26, 2019 and its severe Consequences in human life, housing and infrastructure, AIS finds that the State and the Albanian Government cannot make an inventory of where we are in dealing with its consequences and rehabilitation. November 2023 There is no Clear Report on: the number of families provided with housing through the Reconstruction Program Reconstructed public works,…

The Money and Power Database enables the public control-verification of the phenomenon of nepotism.

Media reports that such phenomenon affects 70% of Senior Officials Brahaj: The appointment of family members risks escalating into Structured Corruption The Inside Story Program by journalist Luljeta PROGNI brought an Investigation Report during the month of November, with evidence on concrete cases of employment of politicians’ family members in State Institutions. The report entitled “Political offsprings, coveted institutions transformed into nurseries of nepotism” provided…

State Budget, Shrinking Foreign Investments

In a research article carried out by Open Data Albania, it emerges that in the 2018 – 2024years  Public Investments with Foreign Financing are characterized by low levels of planning and budget non-consolidation. This sole detail shows a lack of capacity from the Government to properly attract funding through aid and granting Instruments. Foreign investments are investments that require quality detailed projects, based on feasibility…

Public Investments with Foreign and Domestic Financing: The level of Budgetary Planning non-consolidation, Revisions and actual Consolidation 2018 – 2024

Open Data Albania is going through the data on budget capital expenditures, for the years 2018-2024.  Capital expenditures are the expenditures made by a certain budget unit for the provision of new public assets or the repair of the previous ones  – and whose life expectancy goes beyond a single fiscal year, – as well as for capital transfers. Capital expenditure is financed from internal…

Planned Concessions and PPP contracts launching in 2024 and respective value

Open Data is examining the information regarding to the government’s fresh plans for Concessions and Public Private Partnerships (PPP( for the year 2024. The data was obtained from the Ministry of Finance and Economy, extracted from the Draft Law for the Year 2024 Budget. There are 6 new Concession/PPP projects, worth about ALL 109.5 billion or Euro 1.04 billion that have been planned to be…

CEPI project with Transparency International, Workshop with journalists and activists, Monitoring of public sector databases and use of evidence based practices to accountability

The organization AIS, otherwise known as Open Data Albania, organized a workshop with journalists and activists on the topic of Monitoring Public Sectors, Databases and guaranteeing Accountability through Evidence based practices. This event was held as part of the EU 4 Rule of Law Project: Civic Engagement for Public Integrity in the Western Balkans and Turkey, a project led by Transparency International, in collaboration with…

Activism and Civil Society for Drafting, Consultation and Implementation of the State Budget in Parliament

The organization AIS/Open Data Albania organized, on October 23rd, in the city of Lezhe, a training with activists, journalists and representatives of non-governmental organizations. The subject of the training “Activism and Civil Society for Drafting, Consultation and Implementation of the State Budget in Parliament”. The event was held within the framework of the Project “Increasing the Parliament’s Responsiveness to Citizens’ Concerns”, supported by the British…