By DASHNOR KALOÇI

The island of Sazan, surrounded mainly by the rocky coast and clear blue water, as well as Zvërnec with the monastery on the small island, the beach with sand dunes, the forest with tall pine trees and the rich flora and fauna, which constitute a rare natural beauty, have for several months become the headlines of the media and politics, not only in Albania, but also in the international arena, (due to a giant tourist project with a complex of villas and resorts that is expected to be built by a foreign company from the USA), it seems that they were not only very well-known places for the picturesque tourist landscape they offered, but also for their underground wealth! Such as gas and oil, otherwise considered "black gold". Among other things, this is also known from an archival document from 1989, which contains the minutes of the meeting of the secretariat of the Central Committee of the Albanian People's Party, led by Ramiz Alia, which was also attended by Lenka Çuko, member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Central Committee, as well as Besnik Bekteshi, member of the Political Bureau and Minister of Industry, Mining and Energy.

As we will see from the document in question, during the meeting of the secretariat of the Central Committee of the Albanian People's Party (which were actually working coffees that Ramiz Alia held in the Party House with his subordinates, members of the Bureau and the secretaries of the Central Committee, which were recorded and transcribed), the Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy, Besnik Bekteshi, (considered one of the most prepared and professional people the Albanian government had at that time), after giving a long summary of his visit to the Tropoja district, speaking mainly about the mineral wealth that that area had in the north-east of the country, he also stopped and spoke about all the problems of the sectors covered by the department he headed, such as; oil, gas, chrome, copper, coal, iron, energy, etc., in all districts of the country, from north to south.

Likewise, during that conversation, Minister Bekteshi (who paradoxically had long been followed and surveilled by the State Security, as a possible agent of the Bulgarian Secret Services, where he had graduated), also focused at length on foreign companies such as West German, Romanian, etc., that had offered to explore for oil and gas in our country, mainly on the coast of Zvërnec and the island of Sazan, where the first wells had been opened to explore for oil that was thought to be in the depths of the sea.

In addition to Minister Bekteshi's presentation, during that working meeting, Ramiz Alia informed them (Bekteshi and Lenka Çukos, who surprisingly speaks with great competence also about mining problems), regarding the meeting and conversations he had had in those days in Tirana with João Amazonas, (the chairman of the Marxist-Leninist party of Brazil), with whom he had been advised on the problems of foreign companies that had offered to explore for oil and other mineral resources in our country. Regarding this, etc., we are familiar with the document in question that was recently extracted from the Central State Archive (the fund of the former Central Committee of the Albanian People's Party), which is published for the first time by Memorie.al.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE ALPSH DATED 6.VI.1989, HEADED BY RAMIZ ALIA, WHERE LENKA ÇUKO AND BENSIK BEKTESHI ALSO PARTICIPATED

MEETING

OF THE COMMENDED SECRETARIES OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PARTY

On June 6, 1989

At this meeting, discussions were held on new discoveries in chrome; on the development of the conference of the Democratic Front of the Tropoja district; on communist militancy; on the better concretization of tasks and on the problem of the mechanism of work and remuneration; on the progress of work in the oil and other mineral sectors; on the issue of risky firms; on the versatility of the working method in the Ministry of Foreign Trade, on some problems that the development of our country itself raises and on various other problems.

The meeting is chaired by Comrade Ramiz Alia, First Secretary of the Party Central Committee. Participating in this meeting are Comrade Lenka Çuko, member of the Politburo and Secretary of the Central Committee; and Comrade Besnik Bekteshi, member of the Politburo and Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy.

Continues from the previous issue

I say that the time has come to study it, as it includes a large number of cadres who are directly related to production in the system of the entire economy of the country. The withholding of 10 percent from the salary was done with the aim of stimulating production, it was an emulating form, but people seemed to get used to the withholding of 10 percent of the salary. Now I say that this has turned into indifference.

I think that this issue should be seen not only by the Party, but also by other state bodies, it should be studied on a basis and not superficially, because even material-technical supply, without fetishizing it because there are many cases where other defects, other shortcomings are camouflaged under the name of material-technical supply, is a problem in itself, it is the basis for increasing production.

During the study of this issue, other forms will emerge to encourage and stimulate production, and it is possible that such forms will be found, without being put as an indicator that if they did not produce production, regardless of the reasons for non-production, they will be paid 90 percent of their salary.

Previously, only the geological enterprise was excluded from this form of remuneration, because this sector is completely linked to the material-technical base of imports. However, now this sector is also included in this form of remuneration. In oil, Napolon Mërtiraj told me, employees are currently paid 10 percent less.

COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: I agree that the form of remuneration for cadres working in economic enterprises, which are withheld 10 percent, should be studied, but this should be done in depth, not step by step and be satisfied with one or two variants. The most effective forms that stimulate the cadre to increase production should be found. I am not a specialist, but I think that one form of remuneration could be this: When the enterprise realizes the plan 101 percent, the managers should receive 10 percent of the salary more.

This may be appropriate for enterprises that work with domestic raw materials and materials, not for those that expect them from imports. In any case, one must think carefully about finding appropriate forms of remuneration to stimulate production. In the relations of production, there is nothing unchangeable; conditions change, so do the relations.

At the present stage of development, for example, the problem of work and remuneration is a mechanism that should concern the Party. In capitalist countries, the bourgeoisie, with its system, has established the discipline of hunger and starvation in order to extract maximum profit and to preserve its existence. In these countries, the owner throws the worker out on the street if he does not do his job, the worker dies of hunger.

Our system is the antithesis of the capitalist system. Of course, there is no discipline of the whip in our country, but socialism requires a high and conscious discipline. Based on this principle, our people, the Party, economic and state bodies must make efforts to find other economic mechanisms that will be used to establish it. Order and discipline at work increase social productivity, which for our economy constitutes a colossal problem.

Lenin said that ultimately social productivity is the measure of the superiority of one socio-economic order over another. We must not forget this. Proletarian discipline, a steely but conscious discipline, must characterize our people.

I am making a philosophical abstraction. The basis of ideas (of consciousness) is material development (social being). Ideas, as Marx said, are a material force when they are embraced by the masses, they are strong and become reality when they have a material basis.

In socialism, not all people work in the productive sphere, but even intellectuals who do not work in this sphere give as much to society as those in the productive sphere. However, even the intellectual who is far from production reflects in his consciousness the material transformation of society, he has proletarian thoughts and consciousness.

If they thought that the working class and the working peasantry would not engage in proletarian work, it would be a very, very absurd thing. So the question does not arise of establishing proletarian and conscious discipline only in principle, let it remain an idea. It may apply to a minority, but not to the entire mass. We have not left conscious proletarian discipline on the basis of ideas, we have placed it on a material basis.

But, with these conditions that we have created in our country, with these material possibilities that we have at our disposal, with these mechanisms that we have put into operation, are we really creating that strong and iron discipline, that conscious proletarian discipline that we want? There are problems here and we should by no means think that these things have been solved once and for all and that there is no room for further perfection.

The issue of reconciling the interests of the individual or group with society, of the cooperative with the state, of the member with the cooperative, of the worker with the state, which coincide with a particular aspect of production relations, are very delicate, dialectically linked and variable. With the development of society, people's needs become greater as a result of the increase in their income, this also brings about an increase in demands. If 10 years ago the television was a luxury item, today it has become a necessity.

Or, since 10 years ago in the village both men and women dressed differently, while now they want to dress like in the city. The new state of the strengthened economy sets before our organizations the task of increasing production, otherwise they cannot cope. Therefore, the organs of the Party, government and economy must take these issues into account, because if their demands are not met, economic and political problems are created.

To help agriculture, the 7th Plenum of the Central Committee of the Party decided that brigades that exceed production tasks, by deducting accumulation, should be given a supplementary bonus. The new form of bonus will encourage the peasants to work, to increase production. Why not introduce such a form of bonus in the extractive industry to encourage miners in chrome, a sector in which we have an interest?

Of course, the new form of remuneration cannot be extended to all sectors of our economy, it should be seen by categories, but it can be used in the construction and assembly of large industrial works. The brigades working on the construction of the ferrochrome plant can be assigned a deadline for completing their tasks and when they complete the plan, they can be given a reward. The new form of remuneration increases economic efficiency, but it also encourages the worker to work.

This form of reward existed before, but was removed. This is legal. In the work system as a whole, many processes and work methods have changed, have been replaced with more advanced ones, many experiments have been done and such will be done in the future, but all of these must be better studied and given the right argumentation and response.

COMRADE BESNIK BEKTESHI: Based on the decision to create export-import organizations within a ministry, we are now working to establish this organization within our department, and we have even drafted a regulation. This organization will enter into an agreement with a foreign firm for the export-import of goods and equipment that it needs within the system covered by this department, without interfering with the agreements or treaties that the Ministry of Foreign Trade has concluded and will conclude within the framework of the entire national economy.

A series of goods, which foreign trade could not reach foreign markets to sell, have now been taken over by this organization, which will begin its activity to find a sales market. The comrades who deal with these problems are optimistic and have faith that the assigned task will be accomplished. This year, as you also ordered, comrade Ramiz, we cannot expect any major activity in this direction, but there will be an improvement.

COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: Branches, enterprises or offices established near ministries to deal with export-import problems should make efforts to find markets close to our country. Markets in distant countries and large firms will not provide effectiveness. How are things going in the oil sector?

COMRADE BESNIK BEKTESHI: Drilling to find new oil and gas sources is underway. In Delvina, at a depth of 40-47 meters, the probe has encountered the limestone layer. Drilling is progressing normally. In Panaja, drilling will reach a depth of 2000 meters. The drilling has been moved about 200 meters to the new trunk. During drilling at a depth of 100 meters, they encountered the old pipe and are now starting to move away.

Specialists have made some new measurements with neutrons and have picked up sounds, which indicate that there is metal, that is, the old pipe. They have moved away from it and drilling is continuing on a new stump. During this time, no phenomena have occurred, not even at the wellhead. In terms of exploration, the indicators are good.

In these areas that I mentioned, gasification is now starting. In recent days, during the drilling of a well, there was gas, as well as in two wells in the Divjaka area. These wells are of the Pliocene nature, 8 thousand, 10 thousand, 12 thousand meters deep. The gas supply for both the urea plant and other industrial consumers working with it has been regular.

The Zvërnec well was closed. Now they are doing some seismic profiles because they think that in another well with a depth of about 2000-2200 meters the rise begins, it has moved, disconnected from Sazani. These are the oil explorations, which we usually attack at a depth of 3200 meters mainly in Sheqishte and Marinza.

COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: What about the chrome itself?

COMRADE BESNIK BEKTESHI: At the beginning of the month, comrade Ramiz, although efforts have been made on our part, a decline is observed. This decline comes as a result of workers leaving for their families. They also take their salaries home. After these days, work begins with intensity both in mining operations and in exploitation. This is a problem that we have raised repeatedly, but we have not yet found a solution.

In the mines we have made buses available to the miners, but not in all. There are about 100 such buses. However, the demands for transport vehicles are great and for this reason we have recommended a plan with the Ministry of Foreign Trade. We have about 40 thousand tons of rich chrome. Chrome of other qualities is in excess. We cannot fulfill the contract signed with some countries for rich chrome and concentrate.

COMRADE RAMIZ ALIA: The situation of rich chrome and concentrate must be monitored and coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Trade to make changes in planning for next year.

COMRADE BESNIK BEKTESHI: We will look at these specifically on the basis of the fronts, but right there on the front is the mineral with rich content. Our efforts of the mine managers and especially the miners are enormous, but the fact that such layers are captured with difficulty leads to the failure to realize the plan. In the new chrome mines, such as road works, mining works and exploitation have partially begun.

The miners have also extracted ore, but it cannot be transported due to the lack of roads. The work to open the roads has begun. For this purpose, immediately after the orders you gave at a meeting of the Secretariat for several actions to help the economy, we have sent several brigades to intensify the work, especially with the organization of the actions, the districts themselves have been taken.

After this meeting of the Secretariat, we have allocated about 11 million investments for these actions. But we think that everything has its time and we also encounter difficulties. In the chrome sector, a "commitment" has been made to extract 15 thousand tons of chrome through action during the months of June, August and September, by increasing efforts and helping this sector with means of transport.

We have also set the task of reducing the depletion coefficient to the maximum, that is, not to extract stones to increase ferrochrome. Work is underway in this direction. At the metallurgical plant, work is progressing well in terms of increasing the level of me me concentrate and basic carbonate. The level has dropped in value, but now, with increased efforts, it will reach 13-14 thousand dollars per ton. / Memorie.al