The Albanian government, together with IOM, the International
Labour Organization (ILO) and other partners has put forward a
draft national action plan on remittances, aimed at enhancing the
development impact of remittances in Albania.

According to the Bank of Albania, Albanian migrants have
remitted 6.6 million euros over the past 15 years, the equivalent
of 13 per cent of the country’s GDP and three times more than
foreign direct investment (FDI). About 26 per cent of Albanian
households now rely on remittances.

The action plan includes measures on the expansion and
improvement of remittance data collection practices, research,
analysis, policies and procedures and the promotion of formal means
of remittances and their productive use towards local and national
development.

Twenty-four government agencies, international organizations,
development bodies, the private banking sector and financial
services providers worked together on the draft action plan for
endorsement by the government.

The work also resulted in government outreach to Albanian
communities abroad, which for the first time launched a public
information campaign among its diasporas in Italy and Greece
entitled: "Migrants, your contribution can boost the
country’s development". Material available to migrants
include information on available financial products, the banking
network in Albania and its services, and a brochure on financial
institutions, foreign exchange control regulations and investment
opportunities in the migrants’ home country.

IOM in Albania has been working to strengthen understanding on
the links between migration and development. In the past year,
together with the government, the ILO and other partners, it has
implemented a programme on the creation of an integrated migrant
remittance system with technical and financial support from the
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Development Cooperation
Office of the Italian Embassy in Tirana.

A web page on "Migration and Development" is hosted on IOM
Tirana’s web site
href="http://www.iomtirana.org.al" target="_blank" title=
"">www.iomtirana.org.al providing migrants with updated
information on remittances policies, statistics, initiatives,
modalities for sending money home, investment opportunities,
banking and financial products, etc. This web page will also host a
forum on best use of remittances for local economic
development.

For more information, please contact:

Miriam Neziri Angoni

IOM Albania

Tel. + 355 4 257 836/7/271 629

Fax 355 4 257 835

Email: "mailto:mneziri@iomtirana.org.al">mneziri@iomtirana.org.al

Teuta Grazhdani

IOM Albania

Tel. + 355 4 257 836/7/271 629

Fax 355 4 257 835

E-mail: "mailto:tgrazhdani@iomtirana.org.al">tgrazhdani@iomtirana.org.al