GOVERNMENT MEASURES TO COPE WITH COVID-19 OUTBREAK IN ALBANIA

Yesterday evening the Albanian Prime Minister announced the first financial plan aiming to cope with the situation caused by the outbreak of the COVID – 19 in Albania. The plan will be approved through a normative act of the Albanian Government and probably followed by further instructions for its implementation. The plan consists in the following 7 items:

• 25 million USD will be allocated to the Ministry of Health to purchase medical equipment and materials and/or support of the medical staff;
• 100 million USD (in the form of a sovereign guarantee) is offered to guarantee the borrowings of the companies to finance the payment salaries of their employees;
• 65 million USD will be allocated for the most immediate needs, people in need, small business and potential unemployment due to the outbreak.
• 20 million USD will be granted to the Ministry of Defence in support of its Humanitarian Operation;
• 10 million USD will be allocated as a contingency fund to the Council of Ministers for any unforeseen emergency;
• The deadline for filing of annual balance sheet (but not profit tax declaration) for all business will be postponed until 1 June 2020.
• The salaries of the members of the Council of Ministers and Members of Parliament of the will be halved until the end of the crises.

The financial plan which will be detailed in the following days, follows a series of other administrative measures taken by the government since the beginning of outbreak which are shortly summarized below in chronological order:

• 19 March 2020: The suspension of the academic year in both private and public institutions and kindergartens initially introduced until 23 March 2020, is extended until 3 April 2020;
• 18 March 2020: Employees of the public administration cannot use their private vehicles to go to work until further notice, save for those with special permit designated by their superiors.
• 18 March 2020: Curfew hours are amended so that citizens can only go out during the hours of 06:00 AM – 10.00 AM and 04:00 PM – 06:00 PM to run errands and complete essential needs; they cannot walk in pairs of 2 or more. Penalties of 10.000 LEK/person apply if this rule is breached.
• 17 March 2020: The General Directorate of Taxes has instructed it will only offer online services until further notice.
• 17 March 2020: Joint order of the Bank of Albania aiming postponement of payment of loan instalments until 31 May 2020 for business and individuals facing difficulties due to the situation created by COVID-10 outbreak; the banks will process and decide on the request of the applying business or individuals within 3 days.
• 16 March 2020: Parks and public spaces are closed to public during all day; curfew is introduced for all persons from 06.00 PM to 06.00 AM.
• 16 March 2020: All flights from UK are suspended until further notice.
• 15 March 2020: Government approves Normative Act 33/2020 which foresees administrative penalties for any subject that breaches the administrative measures taken by the government due to the COVID-19 outbreak e.g. a penalties of ALL 5.000.000 for any private entity or individual that organize public gathering events; a penalties of ALL 1.000.000 for any entity or individual that exercises indoor activities etc.
• 15 March 2020: All the terrestrial borders are closed until a further notice. All the terrestrial borders will be open only for the purpose of the transportation of goods.
• 15 March 2020: Authorized vehicles will be used only for the transport of employees from 06:00 AM to 08:00 AM and between 04.00 PM – 05.00 PM.
• 14 March 2020: Mandatory self-quarantine for all the citizens of the Republic of Albania who have returned from Italy in the last 14 days.
• 14 March 2020: All the companies that carry out the activity of the international transport of goods must accredit online the list of their drivers with the Ministry of Transport, in order to proceed with their daily activity.
• 13 March 2020: The temporary suspension of the ground traffic and as well as sea traffic and air traffic with Greece until further notice.
• 13 March 2020: All the private entrepreneurs, should accredit online with the Police of State the list of their employees which shall use private vehicles only for business purposes.
• 13 March 2020: The temporary suspension (lockdown) of Tirana, Durres, Shkoder, Lezhe, Elbasan, Lushnje, Fier and Vlore. It is prohibited for the citizens of the above cities to use their private vehicles. The lockdown consists in the suspension of the urban transport within the above cities and the interurban transport that connects the above cities, until 15 March 2020.
• 11 March 2020: Government allows public administration employees that have children to work from home. It also recommends to private employers to allow their employees to work from home to the maximum extent possible. If this is not possible, the employers should undertake all necessary measures to ensure H&S at work considering the COVID-19 (limited number of persons in the same room – especially in call centres, personal protective equipment and similar).
• 11 March 2020: The closure of bars, coffee shops, restaurants, fast foods and any other facility that provides customer services countrywide, until 3 April 2020. Bars and restaurants services places in accommodation facilities shall offer their services only to their clients who are accommodated in the relevant accommodation facilities and shall not offer such services to citizens not accommodated within the relevant accommodation facilities until 3 April 2020.
• 10 March 2020: The closure of all facilities which provide night club services; facilities which provide indoor entertaining activities to children and youth; gyms, sport centers, swimming pools; internet centers; all centers that provide cultural and entertainment activities until 3 April 2020 Bars, coffee shops and restaurants shall exercise their activity only by respecting a distance of at least two meters between tables in sitting areas and a distance of at least one meter between individuals.
• 10 March 2020: The temporary suspension of all air and sea traffic from Italy.
• 9 March 2020: The temporary suspension of air traffic from Malpensa Airport, Bergamo Airport, Ancona Airport, Bologna Airport, Firenze Airport, Genoa Airport, Perugia Airport, Pisa Airport, Rimini Airport, Turin Airport, Venezia Airport, Verona Airport.
• 9 March 2020: The suspension of the academic year in both private and public institution until 23 March 2020.

The information provided in this newsletter is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. CR PARTNERS SHPK cannot assume any liability in respect thereof.