Albanian State Minister highlights progress in digital services and anti-corruption efforts
Adea Pirdeni, Albania’s Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption delivered a significant address at the Socialist Party Electoral Congress today, focusing on the remarkable advancements in Albania’s digital services and public administration over the past decade.
Why is this relevant
Albania has made significant progress in digitalizing public services and enhancing administrative efficiency, in an effort to fight corruption and aligning its public sector to EU standards. Given the Government’s pledge for Albania to be ready for EU membership by 2030 further progress in this direction is crucial.
What was said
Pirdeni reported a substantial leap in online services, stating, “In 2013, Albania offered only 14 online services used by 50,000 citizens. Today, a decade later, 3.1 million people are registered on the Albania portal, benefiting from 1,240 online services.”
The Minister highlighted the Socialist Party’s role in spearheading this digital transformation, placing Albania as a regional leader in digital public services. This progress began with the establishment of a modern legal framework and has been significantly enhanced by digitalization efforts, simplifying job applications for various positions to just one click.
She also addressed the impact of recent wage reforms, noting that public administration employees now have an average salary of 105,000 lek (approximately 1,000 euros) per month, a key benefit of the decade’s reforms.
Pirdeni emphasized the ongoing efforts to strengthen public administration by promoting top talent and optimizing human capital for critical sectors. She also pointed to the creation of the Procurement Services Operator, which has streamlined public tender processes and reduced political interference.
Looking forward, Pirdeni expressed confidence that upcoming innovations from the National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI) in Artificial Intelligence will further enhance the quality and transparency of public procurement, aligning Albania with standards expected of developed European Union states.