On the International Day of the Family, the People's Advocate organized a discussion forum in Pogradec between citizens, local government, leaders of local institutions and civil society, where the central message was the support that the state should provide to families in the outskirts of the country.

The forum was held with the participation of the Prefect of Korça District Florinda Zegullaj, the Mayor of Pogradec Municipality Ilir Xhakolli, the Mayor of Pustec Municipality Pali Kolevski, leaders of institutions, civil society and citizens.

Shabani opened his speech by recalling that Pogradec has lost approximately a quarter of its population in the last 13 years, a demographic challenge that requires special attention from public policies.

“The territorial reform is not a demographic calculation. It is a decision about human rights. Every new line that will be drawn on the map will affect the lives of Albanian families in Velçan, Buçimas and Pustec. And the measuring stick of this reform is whether it brings the state closer or further away from these families”, declared Shabani.

The Ombudsman also raised the issue of the municipal financing formula, which is related to the number of inhabitants.
According to him, this formula should be reviewed in parallel with the territorial reform, so that municipalities with declining populations are not left without the resources they need for quality public services.

Shabani brought to attention that the Ombudsman is the only institution in Albania that has calculated the living wage, and emphasized that support for families is not measured only in money, but also in free public services.

“If the municipality offers more free services, or if we fight corruption, citizens will spend less out of pocket. This can contribute to bringing economic assistance to the level of the living wage, so that our citizens not only get out of poverty but also live with dignity,” said Shabani.

Prefect Zegullaj emphasized that the challenge of modern administration is not only procedural efficiency, but also the humanization of institutions, especially in relation to families in need, people with disabilities, children and lonely elderly people.

The Mayor of Pogradec, Ilir Xhakolli, proposed reviewing the economic assistance scheme towards a new model that integrates a minimum wage for those who are truly in need, intertwined with public work by beneficiaries.

The Mayor of Pustec, Pali Kolevski, emphasized that “the strength of a society is measured by the way it treats people in need.”

As a concrete step after the forum, the Ombudsman announced that he will present to the Parliament a special opinion on the human rights dimension in territorial reform, a dimension that is currently missing from the public debate.

The forum continued with a conversation between the Ombudsman and the citizens of Pogradec, as well as a panel with representatives of civil society.

“Pogradec, Pustec, Devolli need a state, not charity. The wealth of this region is not only Lake Ohrid, but also interethnic coexistence,” Shabani concluded his speech.

Present at the forum, in addition to the regional leaders of institutions, were the deputies of the area, the president of the Korça district council and the president of the Pogradec municipal council.