TIRANA, MARCH 23, 2011     Today, USAID’s local governance program in Albania held a national conference with representatives from Albanian cities, non-governmental representatives, and private enterprises to present and discuss best practices to support good governance and economic growth for Albanian cities.  The U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, Deborah Jones, President of the Republic of Albania, Bamir Topi, and Deputy Minister of Interior, Ferdinand Poni, delivered remarks at the opening ceremony of the conference. 

Since 2007, USAID’s Local Governance Program in Albania (LGPA) has worked with ten municipalities on a series of activities that foster local economic growth, improve local governance, and strengthen civic and private sector engagement in local development.  The project established computerized local tax administration practices in 10 municipalities, initiated municipal borrowing for eight cities to finance large infrastructure projects, helped cities register and manage 3,300 municipal property assets, and developed complete territorial plans for the cities of Kukes and Fushe-Kruja.  Through these activities, local government units can improve service provision and be more responsive to citizens.

In her remarks at the opening of the conference, Chargé Jones underlined the United States’ support for the continuance of Albania’s decentralization process, as well as the need for local governments to continue reforms and improvements in managing resources, providing services to citizens, and more effectively advocating for their communities.

Mayors of the ten USAID-assisted municipalities and representatives of non-governmental organizations and private enterprises that have participated in USAID-led public-private partnerships attended the event and participated in discussion panels.