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Sborník ze semináře KAP Velehrad 2017

Bilbil Kasmi

Digitalization in Albania

Dear Mr. Konecny,
Dear Mrs Nemcova,
Honorable participants,
I am pleased to be among you and thank the organizers for the invitation and the warm and friendly reception for the Albanian delegation to participate in this international seminar where we are discussing a major theme of "The world of Digital Labour, industry ".

Ladies and gentlemen,
Albania offers a peculiarity in religious harmony. In our country, peace and understanding coexist with people who practice different religious beliefs, where more and more this century-old feature develops, based on the deepest harmony and deep human tolerance.
On September 4, the entire Albanian people celebrated the anniversary of the canonization by Pope Francis of Mother Teresa, the great iconic humanist of love and mercy of God (Canonization of Mother Teresa carrier of God's tender and Merciful Love). Another celebrated event is the consecration on September 5 of the cathedral "Nënë Tereza" in Prishtina by the Albanian Cardinal Ernest Simoni.

Participation in this seminar gives me the opportunity to present a development of digitalization in Albania. As it is known, the digital revolution began in the 1950s with the first computers and today it continues with the information age, which is spreading all over the world at a high rate. This revolution is fundamentally changing the way the individual relies on time and movement, and of course the way in which companies and organizations interact, and what is more important is that many of the economic and social barriers continue to fall due to the digital revolution.
One of the key players in this radical transformation is the European Union, which invests every year in research and development of new technologies. The digital agenda is one of the key pillars of the EU strategy.

Dear participants,
Albania is a small spatial reality, but it is a reality where digital infrastructure began to be conceptualized and implemented at a rapid pace. The digitalization process is administered through the International Telecommunication Union, responsible for issues related to information and communication technology.
This body initiated the digitalization process with the GE06 2006 agreement, which was ratified by the Albanian Parliament in 2007. In 2012, the Digital Switching Strategy was drafted and ratified, which sets out the steps for process management.

Today, the key challenge in our country is to consolidate digital infrastructure, which is related to the modernization of state-provided services and economic development through investments to rapidly increase the quality of services to the public. The government is committed to this objective and has a comprehensive plan involving the provision of more than 300 services through new technology for citizens. It is thought that in 2017 most of these services will be offered online to the public.
Digitalization will enable wider coverage of internet and digital services even in rural areas, which today do not have access to these services. The digitalization reform for Albania is of special importance as an instrument for approximation of access levels and information on services between urban and rural areas.

Over the last decade, in Albania, a new era has been launched that has been dubbed a digital era since it is rightly conceived as an opportunity that promotes development through the addition and promotion of digital services for citizens and business.
The percentage of employees who can replace computers in Albania is higher than in other countries in the region, such as Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia. From a technological point of view, in Albania the percentage of employees that can be completely replaced by computerization is over 40%.

Innovation has the mission of designing and coordinating policies in the field of information and communications technology, geospatial information infrastructure, postal services, audiovisual media and reforming and modernizing public administration.
In recent years, private enterprises are increasing in the field of knowledge and technology transfer and transfer in the field of information and communication technologies. Such initiatives in other areas of importance for the country's economic and social development are still scarce. However, it should be underlined that the development of private entrepreneurship in research, development and transfer of technology and knowledge has been in all cases faster than that of public institutions.
Sustainable economic development cannot be achieved without the development of information technology and innovation, and this requires greater cooperation between public institutions and the private sector. The Information Technology Sector is basic when it is known that we have a large number of young people who see the prospect in the field of Information Technology and have ambitions for innovation. In the governmental program it is foreseen the computerization of all schools in order for the students to apply IT at all stages of their education to create a culture of this technology.

There will be no economic development without the advancement of information technology to improve the legislative framework in order to stimulate this important sector. At the current stage, the Government in particular should think more about the creative economy and the digital economy and we must begin that the education system should adapt to labor market demands, such as ICT and innovation, where more than one leaf can be generated new jobs.
Recent developments in the field of innovation and technological change in my country have spurred a lively debate on the future of work. In this context, some believe that technological innovations will massively erode workplaces and increase unemployment, while another group supports it as a chance to create new jobs, even for a break-in in employment.
The expected revolutionary changes in the economic, social and ethical fields will affect the lives of each member of our society, with significant technical benefits that will generate concerns for people working at the social level. New technologies will impress a man, some professions will not exist, new professions will arise and changes will also affect the educational system.
In this context, our trade union is increasingly collaborating in terms of enhancing its members' ability to overcome the "digital gap". If we are more capable, we will be more oriented towards enhancing and expanding the cooperation in the public and non-public sector of innovation. Our mission is to provide expertise in order for all employees to have safe and dignified working conditions not to feel slaved or informal.

Electronic payments are payments based on a particular technology, which does not include cash payments and paper-based payments. Focusing on the Albanian financial environment, this definition is summed up in electronic payment instruments such as debit / credit cards, prepaid cards, and use-based payment instruments internet and mobile phones.
In the process of wider use of electronic payments in Albania, public administration can play a key role. Although the practice of direct depositing salaries on bank accounts was a big step, we can say that this step is not enough. Pensions and social assistance continue to be paid in cash (high cost services to be administered in cash), so it is necessary that they be returned to electronic payments.

While Albania is in the first steps of a change process and at first glance it seems that large-scale electronic payments are a distant reality, Albanians have shown that they are quickly taught with new practices.
In fact, there are also innovative initiatives in Albania in this area, such as Easy pay, which has been offering electronic payments over mobile phones for two years. This was achieved because there was serious involvement of government and the private sector. At present, what is required today in Albania is the development of a deep and comprehensive debate about the benefits of electronic payments. This debate can lead to a radical change in this sector.

Assessing the work of the seminar as President of SAUATT I would like on this occasion to express the readiness of our Autonomous Trade Union to cooperate with The Christian and Labour, Civic Association of Czech Republic in the exchanging of experience on activities of mutual interest between SAUATT and KAP.
Thank you for your attention.