RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ACC/ALB/8
14October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4226)
Original: English
ACCESSION OFALBANIA
Additional Questions andReplies
totheMemorandum ontheForeign Trade Régime
Thefollowing additional questions andreplies, totheMemorandum ontheForeign Trade
Régime (document L/7613) andtotheearlier Replies toQuestions (documents WT/ACC/ALB/3 and
WT/ACC/ALB/4), havebeenreceived from theMinistry ofIndustry, Transport andTrade ofthe
Republic ofAlbania. Additional questions andreplies willbecirculated inaddenda tothisdocument.
_______________
IV. Government Procurement
Question 1
Have theprocurement regulations been prepared? Have theyentered intoforce?
Answer.
Theprocurement regulations havebeenprepared bythePublic Procurement Agency andentered
intoforce in1January 1996.
Question 2
Please provide alistofGovernment entities covered bythenewGovernment Procurement Law.
Answer.
ThelistofGovernmententitiescoveredbythenewGovernmentProcurementLawareasfollows:
- People 'sAssembly;
- Constitutional Court;
- Supreme Court;
- Attorney General;
- Council ofMinisters;
- Department ofEconomic Development andAidCo-ordination;
- Public Procurement Agency;
- Ministry ofAgriculture andFood;
- General Directorate ofForest andPasturage;
- Ministry ofPublic Works andTourism;
- Ministry ofDefence;WT/ACC/ALB/8
Page2
- Ministry ofFinance;
- Taxes andDuties Directory;
- General Directory ofState Reserves;
- Ministry ofPrivatization;
- Ministry ofForeign Affairs;
- Ministry ofHealth andEnvironmental Protection;
- Committee ofEnvironmental Preservation andProtection;
- Ministry ofIndustry, Transport andTrade;
- State Department ofPost-Telecommunications;
- Ministry ofJustice;
- Ministry ofLabour, Emigration andEx-political Prisoners;
- Committee ofEx-political Prisoners;
- Ministry ofMining andEnergy Resources;
- Ministry ofInternal Affairs;
- State Control Commission;
- National Information Service;
- Ministry ofHigher Education andScientific Research;
- Ministry ofCulture, Youth andWomen;
- National Historical Museum;
- General Directory ofAlbanian Radio-Television;
- General Directory ofState Archives;
- Academy ofSciences;
- ArtGallery;
- Albanian Telegraphic Agency;
- District Councils;
- Municipalities;
- Standards Directory;
- National Energy Committee;
- State Religion Secretariat;
- Bank ofAlbania;
- National Statistics Institute;
- Centre ofPromotion ofForeign Investment;
- Enterprise Restructuring Agency;
- Social Insurance Institute.
Question 3
Doesthenewprocurement lawapply tocentral andregional bodies, communes andmunicipalities?
Isthislawapplicable totheprocurement commissions ofanycompanies granted amonopoly and
toState-owned companies?
Answer.
Thislawapplies tocentral andregional bodies, communes andmunicipalities.
Thislawisapplicable tocompanies granted amonopoly andtoState-owned companies.
Question 4
With regard tothedispute settlement procedures, arethedecisions oftheCentral Procurement
Agency final? Canthese decisions beappealed through national courts?WT/ACC/ALB/8
Page3
Answer.
Thedecisions ofthePublic Procurement Agency arefinalandcannotbeappealed through
national courts.
Question 5
Does theapplication oftheopen international tendering procedure (mentioned inquestion 69
ofWT/ACC/ALB/3) mean thatforeign firms areexcluded from participation inthetendering
procedure ifasufficient degree ofcompetition canbeachieved withnational firms? What criteria
areusedtodetermine whether asufficient degree ofcompetition canbeachieved?
Answer.
Theapplication oftheopeninternational tendering procedure doesnotmean thatforeign firms
areexcluded from participation inthetendering procedure ifasufficient degree ofcompetition can
beachieved withnational firms. InAlbania opentendering isthetypeofprocedure mainly addressed
tolocalcompanies, butitallows theparticipation ofother companies aswell, despite theirnationality.