Dear Friends,
The Director of the AIS/OpenData Organization received an invitation from A2 CNN Albania to comment on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2023, which was officially released on January 30.
During her appearance on “Ditari i Lajmeve” (The News Diary), Ms. Brahaj highlighted that despite Albania received one-point increase in the evaluation for this year, the country remains stagnant in terms of anti-corruption efforts. This is problematic, considering the extensive efforts and resources invested in various sectoral reforms over the years.
In response to the moderator’s question, the director of AIS/OpenData highlighted that the country faces a significant risk of poor governance. This is mostly due to the majority’s efforts to dominate all spheres of authority.
The Parliament’s role in overseeing the Executive is deemed weak and practically non-existent. Furthermore, there are concerns about a potential risk in the legislative process that clientelist objectives may be influencing decisions to favour specific businesses.
When questioned about the establishment of the Anticorruption Ministry, Ms. Brahaj noted a lack of positive developments in the process. According to her, the Anticorruption unit should exist independently outside the Executive structure. She emphasized that the success of anti-corruption efforts is tied to the reinforcement of independent institutions such as the State Supreme Audit Institution (ALSAI) or the High Inspectorate of Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflicts of Interest (HIDAACI).
Continuing the discussion on the work of the SPAK Special Prosecutor’s Office, Ms. Brahaj raised concerns about the intimidating statements made by the Majority Leader during the Socialist Party Congress in December 2023, specifically on phrases such as “We will not allow ourselves to be the Republic of Prosecutors and Judges”.
AIS, recognized as #OpenDataAlbania, is an organization dedicated to promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance. Among its various areas of focus, the organization actively contributes to anti-corruption efforts.
