REPORT ECONOMIC SITUATION DEPLORABLE; REVEAL SOVIET ACTIVITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600260996-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 2011
• Sequence Number: 996
• Publication Date: November 25, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/13 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000600260996-8
`: ,INFORMATION 1949
SUBJECT Politicaly F;~onamicg Aiilitsry
H01N DATE DIST. ~'~ Pdov 194g
PUBLISHED Dsilly newspaper
CLASSIFICATION ltInSTRIC?TEB i~~~~~1~~~~Q
- ~ CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION .FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS "CD NO
COUNTRY Albania DATE OF
PUBLISHED' Athens ;NO. OF PAGES
.DATE
SUPPLEMENT TO
LANGUAGE Groak REPORT N0.
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STAT
REPORT F7COftC?!IC SPl'QF14'IOiQ ISEPLDRABIE;
REVEAL SOP.D;'P ACTIPPPI$S
Information on the economic situation in Albania has been disclosed by a
diplomat Pram behind the Iron Curtain xho recently fled to Switzerland and is
aox in Geneva. The following ie a summary of hie report:
Y`he economic situation and living standards Sn Albania are at present
very deplorable, On the basis of the Communist economic program, property es-
propaiations xere carried out without any plan or method. The state has bene-
fited and became more wealthy Pram this expropriation of large property areas.
It has organized agricultural stations at Sukth and. Sam near Tirana. The state
has also expropriated livestock and here again has benefited. At first it was
determined that only those who had more than 400 animals would give part of
them to the state. However, there were maxim cases where persons who were not
looked upon favorably by the Cc~uniste and by the regime and who had on],y abont
150 animals were obliged to hand over ]30 of these anime,le to the state and that
keep only 20 for the?eelvee.
Petroleum, alcohol, soap, slat, and, on rare occasions, clcthing and shoes
are sold in the cooperatives. Pegetables are obtainable on the free market.
However, distribution of these goods from cooperatives is poesibla by c~srenoy
transactions by officers of the ?lbaninn army and loyal Co~uniet Pt-rty members
only. Farmers and the remaining population are forced to barter agricultural
and livestock ~oducts to obtain the above goods.
The wages of employees and ]aborere are very low in comparison with the
cost of living. The hi~ohes~ daily wage is 90 to 100 leke. The working day
consists of 8 ho~ms. However, the Communist ~opaganda system incites tho
laborers to work usually 2 to 3 hours over the authorized limit.
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RESTRICTIm~ ~~~r19 1~~~
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/13 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000600260996-8
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/13 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000600260996-8
coat 12 lake an oka; eggs l5 lake each; oigare 20 lake a paclo;ge; oherries 90 ~kg
an olm. So oil, cheese, buster, ar lard is available. Hoxever, these produote
are obtainable on the bleak market. Whoat is available only on the black market.
The Albanian regime is putting great atreas oa industrial development. Fl'ith
1'ho advice an3 cauneel of Russian tachnlciana attennpts have bedn made to ezploit
the productive resources of Albania. Sagas beet faatcuries nox eziet nt Spree and
Ma]1q but are not yet fully completed. A textile factory is being built betveea
Ttsana and Basher. An uaaea~bled steel plant obtained Pram Gersau xar sepa-
rations has been setup Haar Tisane xhere it manufactures tooia. A tanning factory
ie located at Aurrsa and an asphalt factory at 'Felons. Cowper and ahrwse aches axe
located at Rut~i,g. There era no munitions faotarie?. About 40 students of the
Already roads have been prepared frcaa Beret to Goro+rode, fY^cm4'~sdhigit tp Skr1-
fitsa ?traasliteratlan of Greek namr~, and .'rom peehkopi to Bhkea. Hoxever, these
roads era la bad condition frven though they era considered national arteries.
The roads nee barely wide enough to aoeaemiodats taro-xay traffic. There era Daly.
a very fax private vehicles since the ma~oslty have bean taken over by the state.
Cammunicatioae along the Albanian coast are by motor launch only.
An airport is located nt Tirane, and auziliary airports are located at Spree,
Valona, and G~inokaster.
te,~t ZBIBG AIBANIA AS 1?iLITARY BASE -- To Pima, Ao ]350, 4 Oct 49
London -- The Atheae oorreepondant of the Sun Chronicle reports that the
t~ Se using Albania ae a vast military base. lror mon a or sore, Cosinform
ships have been Tmlonding xar materiel, including tanks sad aircraft, in A1-
banin. The ahipe xere loaded in Soviet bases of the Black and Baltic seas. Con-
voys of 400 trucks anrry the supplies to 14 principal confers in the Albanian
interior. Dar~1ag the peat year three lain rondo running toxard the Greek lron-
tiere xere developed. 9fta~~ the resent defeat of the Camnuniete is Greece the
Russians turned their attention to similar rondo ruining tovnrd Yugoslavia.
The Soviet silitnry sad economic mission in Albania ie estimated at 3,000 ~
10,000 uniformed officers. Soviet officers from the rank of savor and above
direct the Albanian army. Soviet teohaicinne supervize the ohrame and copper
sines and oil xelle. Soviet ndvieera control all the ministries and goverment
services. -- A. Hhimakoe.
~ESi~~L~E~I
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/13 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000600260996-8