The operationalisation of the Electronic System of Declaration of Assets and Conflict of Interests, as of 1 January 2022, provides for an efficient mechanism to fight corruption and to increase the transparency in the declaration and publication of assets of the elected persons and public officials.

This is one of the conclusions of a roundtable, organised by High Inspectorate of Declaration and Publication of Assets and Conflicts of Interests (HIDAACI) with the support of the joint European Union and Council of Europe Action against Economic Crime in Albania.

The meeting brought together high-level representatives of the public authorities tasked with preventing and fighting corruption as well as international partners and key actors in the field. They discussed the deployment of the new Electronic System of Declaration of Assets and Conflict of Interests, the added value it represents for Albania, as an instrument facilitating and strengthening the monitoring and verification capacity of HIDAACI, but also as a dissuasive mechanism of which the authorities should make full use.

Head of HIDAACI Ms Evgjeni Bashari stressed the importance of the new electronic system in fighting corruption. “Launched as a fulfillment of legal obligations and commitments made in the implementation of the Cross-cutting Strategy against Corruption, recommendations issued by the (EU) Progress Report and GRECO, this mechanism aims to strengthen the regime of declaration and control of assets, cases of conflict of interest, as well as increase institutional transparency”, said Bashari.

Speaker of the Albanian Parliament Ms Lindita Nikolla pointed out the importance of recently revised procedures on the declaration of assets and confiscations of interest that have just entered into force. She stressed that the creation of the electronic system of declaration of assets and conflict of interests by HIDAACI, which will be accessed on the official website of the inspectorate, is a step forward not only for increasing transparency but also for overcoming the gap related to compliance with legal obligations.

Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Albania, Luigi Soreca in his remarks said: “The newly Albanian electronic system on assets declaration and conflict of interests launched today is an important tool to prevent and counter corruption among politicians and high public officials. The new system will ensure more transparency and accountability. 'Following the money' will be now more effective, together with the monitoring by civil society and media.”

In her address, Executive Secretary of GRECO and Head of the Council of Europe’s Action against Crime Department Hanne Juncher welcomed the operationalization of the Electronic System of Declaration of Assets and Conflict of Interests and recalled  GRECO’s recommendations when it comes to preventing corruption and promoting integrity in central government and in law enforcement The General Prosecutor Olsian Çela focused on the importance of the new electronic system in support of a more efficient investigation of corruption. “The standardization of data entry and processing facilitates the rapid and complete investigation of cases related to HIDAACI reports or investigations into corruption and money laundering. This system can also facilitate the development of a methodology regarding the procedures of administrative investigation and referral to the prosecution of criminal offenses”, said Çela

The Deputy Minister of Justice Adea Pirdeni underlined that the strengthening of the regime of declaration and control of assets of public officials and cases of conflict of interest,  is among the Objectives of the Cross-cutting Anti-Corruption Strategy, and an integral part of policies with preventive effects of fight against corruption in Albania.

USAID Mission Director Mischere Kawas mentioned the importance of institutional co-operation in this process adding that the achievement we are discussing today is one of the notable examples of successful donor coordination in Albania. “This important progress has been able thanks to an excellent cooperation between the Council of Europe, the European Union and USAID, who have worked hand in hand with the HIDAACI and joined efforts towards this outcome”, said Kawas.

Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana Jutta Gützkow remarked that the electronic system of declarations of assets and conflicts of interest is neither an end in itself nor a standalone mechanism. “Further efforts are needed to make further progress in the prevention and fight against corruption.“, said Gützkow.

Developed with the support of the joint EU/CoE Action against Economic Crime and USAID, the electronic system on assets declaration will contribute to the effective public monitoring of officials’ assets by simplifying the process of declaring, and making declarations public in real time. The system is of strategic importance for strengthening the investigative/auditing mechanisms of HIDAACI with a major impact on the fight against corruption within all categories of officials who perform public functions.

By making the new electronic system operational, and committing to its full use, Albania is addressing one of the key recommendations of GRECO’s reports in the fight against corruption.

The development and launching of the new Electronic System of Declaration of Assets and Conflict of Interests was supported in the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-21022”, a co-operation initiative which aims at assisting beneficiaries in the Western Balkans and Turkey to comply with Council of Europe standards and European Union acquis.