Connections in Tirana
ONE: Some months ago a new person came to live on the third floor. He had a consultant look. I was right, that is what he is. A Turkish consultant.
TWO: At work, during the last same 3-5 months, I have monitored the privatization of the state-owned fixed telephony company: Albtelecom. This company is NOT doing well, no investments during the last three years, penetration of the mobile phone networks is reducing its benefits, problems with the network and poor client service are some issues that I myself have suffered from (as you can read in previous posts).
And how do these two stories fit together? Well, it turns out that my neighbor upstairs works for a Turkish company, Calik Group, which is the only bidder that has accepted to buy Albtelecom. So, I am monitoring him...the Turkish consultant.
This is the perfect example of European neighborhood policy. Those from the College of Europe can laugh.
During this monitoring we have had discussions about the process of privatization (and on how beautiful and European Turkey is...inter alia). The acquisition of Albtelecom by Calik Group is currently stuck. The government of Berisha promised during the general election campaign that would he win the election, the whole process of privatization would be stopped. And so it has.
If there are corruptive practices in the selling of Albtelecom..I do not know. But..hold on, I kindly plea to Mr. Berisha to reconsider this. Thanks to my new neighbor I have wireless connection at home. Yaaaesss. Tirana is going wireless too. However, if the contract Calik Group-Albtelecom does not materialize...my super duper consultant from upstairs will be gone to beautiful and European Turkey and I, I...will be left in Tirana crying, with my crappy phone line internet connection..having time to brush my teeth, prepare a cup of tea and do pilates for 5 minutes before the first page of the online newspaper opens up in the screen of my laptop!!!
I know, I know, I am not being very objective here, but if this Calik company is as kind as my Turkish buddy...I can not see why not selling Albtelecom to them (I guess you know that I am not that naive). And if the government does not sell it now? who is going to buy it anyway? Albania has already launched 3 tenders to privatize this company. None has worked. Investors might be getting scared of putting their money in this so-so reliable context. The power of politics...oh politics, the art of lying.
(and filling your pockets with privatization money).
With neighbors like this...in another posting you'll know about the one downstairs, Lino, Pasqualino il Salvatore!! who was my personal Rambo when he jumped to my house through the balcony (the night I was robbed in front of my house and left without keys), who brought me 60 litters of bottled water to save me the heavy trips to the supermarket, 15 cans of Italian anchovies, a tax free cellphone to replace my 16-year old surfing blue piece of samsung...
Enough. Stay connected. In Tirana is especially important...with neighbors, with politics, with networks.
TWO: At work, during the last same 3-5 months, I have monitored the privatization of the state-owned fixed telephony company: Albtelecom. This company is NOT doing well, no investments during the last three years, penetration of the mobile phone networks is reducing its benefits, problems with the network and poor client service are some issues that I myself have suffered from (as you can read in previous posts).
And how do these two stories fit together? Well, it turns out that my neighbor upstairs works for a Turkish company, Calik Group, which is the only bidder that has accepted to buy Albtelecom. So, I am monitoring him...the Turkish consultant.
This is the perfect example of European neighborhood policy. Those from the College of Europe can laugh.
During this monitoring we have had discussions about the process of privatization (and on how beautiful and European Turkey is...inter alia). The acquisition of Albtelecom by Calik Group is currently stuck. The government of Berisha promised during the general election campaign that would he win the election, the whole process of privatization would be stopped. And so it has.
If there are corruptive practices in the selling of Albtelecom..I do not know. But..hold on, I kindly plea to Mr. Berisha to reconsider this. Thanks to my new neighbor I have wireless connection at home. Yaaaesss. Tirana is going wireless too. However, if the contract Calik Group-Albtelecom does not materialize...my super duper consultant from upstairs will be gone to beautiful and European Turkey and I, I...will be left in Tirana crying, with my crappy phone line internet connection..having time to brush my teeth, prepare a cup of tea and do pilates for 5 minutes before the first page of the online newspaper opens up in the screen of my laptop!!!
I know, I know, I am not being very objective here, but if this Calik company is as kind as my Turkish buddy...I can not see why not selling Albtelecom to them (I guess you know that I am not that naive). And if the government does not sell it now? who is going to buy it anyway? Albania has already launched 3 tenders to privatize this company. None has worked. Investors might be getting scared of putting their money in this so-so reliable context. The power of politics...oh politics, the art of lying.
(and filling your pockets with privatization money).
With neighbors like this...in another posting you'll know about the one downstairs, Lino, Pasqualino il Salvatore!! who was my personal Rambo when he jumped to my house through the balcony (the night I was robbed in front of my house and left without keys), who brought me 60 litters of bottled water to save me the heavy trips to the supermarket, 15 cans of Italian anchovies, a tax free cellphone to replace my 16-year old surfing blue piece of samsung...
Enough. Stay connected. In Tirana is especially important...with neighbors, with politics, with networks.
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