EU, OSCE project launches campaign to promote use of new address system by Albanian citizens
TIRANA, 27 October 2010 - A public awareness campaign to promote the use of Albania's new standardized address system was launched today, in framework of the project "Modernisation of Administrative Address and Civil Registration Systems", funded with EUR 2.5 million by the EU, and additional funds by the OSCE and US government and implemented by OSCE.
The campaign informs about the new address system and about the benefits of using official addresses instead of the informal reference points used so far.
The launch of this campaign comes at the end of a long project of most tangible results on the modernisation of Albania's civil registry and address system. Apart from their impact on voter registration, Albania's new civil registry and new address system will improve public services for Albanian citizens by way of improving communication. To that end, citizens need to be made aware of the new system, of their new addresses and need to use them. Citizens will be informed of how to employ the new system through newspaper and television advertisements.
Luigi Brusa, Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Albania, declared that "The quality of the state services is highly dependent on a sound address system that can be referred to and learned by all. Albania now has such a system. But it needs to be used and learned in order to bring the promised benefits".
Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth, Head of the OSCE Presence, emphasized that "The new system will ensure better quality and faster public services. The addresses contribute toward better election and rule-of-law processes, and help businesses prosper. The address system will be connected to the National Register of Civil Status in order to provide a unique address to every registered person."
The long-term success of the new address system and related undertakings, such as the 2011 Census depend on government will on inter-institutional cooperation, and on the collaboration authorities, such as the General Directorate of the Civil Status, Civil Status Offices and Urban Planning Offices.