ORGANIZATION OF POSTAL, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE SERVICES(SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A007000030044-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 31, 2013
• Sequence Number: 44
• Publication Date: May 24, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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YC4 &Y.71 i._ - -
U.S. Officials Only'
INFORMATION REPORT
Organization of Postal, Telegraph and Telephone Service
DATE D I STR. 24 May 195+
SE
OF THE UNITED STATES. WITHIN THEMEANIHG OF TITLE IN. SECTIONS 79I
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVS.
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIUE PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. T REPRODUCTION OF THIS REPORT IS L PERSON T
NO. OF ENCLS.
50X1-HUM
SUPP. TO
REPORT NO.
"Our inform tinn on rnetn _ telegraph and telephone services in Albania
Post Offices
2. "The following diagram illustrates the organization of the postal, telegraph
and telephone services in Albania:
fee next page?
DISTRIBUTION STATE ARMY
SECURITY INFORMATION
NAVY I IAIR FBI
This report is for the use within the USA of the intelligence components of the Departments or
Agencies indicated above. It is not to be transmitted overseas without the concurrence of the
originating office through the Assistant Director of the Office of Collection and Dissemination. CIA.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/01/31 : CIA-RDP80-00926AO07000030044-5
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CONFIDENTIAL/US OFFICIAIZ ONLY
stria
Blv Shgipriaye Re - Tirane
Regional
Ministria Koznunikacionit - PTT
Enistry of Conpnun.ications -Post,
Telegraph & Telephone) 4
Blv ..hainria e Re - Tirane
Z a Postare - PTT - Er~t Durres
Rr Mujo Ulqinaku - Durr s
Rr Enver Hoxha (formerly Skanderbeg
Shkoder
Zyra Postare PTT - Aret ?.t K
Rr Bajram Curri -.Kukes
Etc-- A Zyra Postare - PTT
exists in every regional..
capital of Albania
Cit of Tirana
Zyra Postare - PTT m Qytetit Tiran
Pos Office - PTT)
Rr hallvares .- Tirang - Rajone Nr 1
Zyra Postare - PTT - No 1
1 Blv Shqipria e Re - Tisane
Ralone Ni' 1
Zyra Postare - PTT - No 2'
Rr Nander - Rajone Nr 3-
Tirang
Zyra Postare - PTT - No 3
Rr Barrikadavet Rajone Nr 2 -
TiranP
Legend.
PTT_ Ministry of Coamiunicationa. Post., Telegraph and Telephone.
Zyra, Postare - Post Office
"A Zyra Postare-PTT exists in each regional capital of Albania (21: p. kaa
the city of Tirana). Each region also has one sub-post office in some
locality (lokaliteti) of that region. This post office depends.on the
head post office in the regional capital. The localities have a Zyra
Postare-PTT:
Bicaj Leskovik
Gostime Libohove
Rrogozhine Librazhd
Kelcyre Maqellare
Kuc Milot
KuPvelesh Gjorgucat
Konispol Himare
Koplik Zerqan
Klos Polican
Shepenze Rosk?vec
Shbng jin
Tirana city proper has three
sub-post offices,
one for each rajone (city sector).
4. "Every Zyra Postare-PTT, including the sub-offices, has the following booths:
(a) Letra Ordinere a Ordinary Mail, where postage stamps also sold.
(b) Letra Rekomande - Registered Mail
(c) Letra Jashte Shtetit - Foreign Mail
(d) Mandat Postar Koli - Parcel Post
Postaeko
(e) Pagesa Dergizne Marie - Money Orders
CONFIDENTIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/01/31 : CIA-RDP80-00926A007000030044-5
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cOPr1Iu?akil a /US kr"1?'IULas mTy 50X1-HUM
a,
In addition, the Tirana Zyre, g'oR tare-PrIV on Tyr Shv_llvares (the main post
office for the city and region of T"iran ) and. also the Zyra Postare4T'T
in each regional capital have two other booths:
(a) Telegra,
(b) Teiefon
:. 4di to ,r3@j._o
"Po"% OYfic,ry Y.rio,
.
Telegram ioootn
Telephone booth
`ire Ie,zru
- open 2+ nrs a aay, including Sundays and. ho iday8
- Open daily, including Sundays and holidays,
from 0800 to 2+00 hrs.
0800-1200 hrs for reservation of calls
1200-2400 for making the actual calls.
Distribution of Domestic Mail
In every regional capital and locality which has a Zyra Postare-PTT
distribution of mail is made by a postman, the postier. The postier wears
a grey uniform and a grey military-type cap which has a red stripe, about
four ems wide, all the way around,. The cockade on the cap bears a pcstal
$isignia. The postier carries his mail in a big leather PIT sack with red
stripes. Most of them use a Soviet bicycle. A. postier earns a monthly
salary of 3,400 Lek /~l95 . In the localities which have no Zyra Postare-PTT,
mail is also distributed by a postier. The polio l.okaliteti in a locality
may also deliver the mail on occasion. Distribution of mail in the villages
is made by the polaku katundit, the village courier-guard postman. The
polaku katundit is a village official who comes under the kryetar (president)
of the village council. All postiers and polaku katundits are men.
9. "In the city of Tirana, in the other regional capitals and in the localities
having a Zyra Postare-PTT, mail is distributed daily from 1100 through 1300
hrs. In all other localities and in the villages, mail is distributed twice
a week, Wednesday and. Saturday. Since there is only one railway line in
Albania, mail is sent by train from Tirana to Durres, Kavaje and Elbasan. It
is sent from Tirana to all other regional capitals by buses of the Agjenzia
Pa,sa ieravet, the State Bus Agency. The mail is shipped,. sealed, in the
normal red striped PTT sacks The postiers often ride horseback.. The polaku
katundit normally wars from one village to another, because of the, terrible
roads.
10. "Delays in mail distribution are caused by the location of the addressee
and weather conditions. the minima time for a letter to reach Kukes from
Tirana is about six or seven days. A letter from Tirana to the village of
Letaj in. theKukes region might take three months in winter, if the polaku
katund.i t cannot reach Lho .nearest' locality because of the heavy snow.
li. "Inside and directly outside the various post offices there are two kinds
of mail boxes: Letra Ord.inere (Ordinary Mail) and Letra Rekomande (Registered
Mail). After a sender has had his letter registered, he can throw it into the
box for registered mail.
00NF'IDENTIAL/USS. OFFICIALS ONLY
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"F T LO ONLI
t:'.~ "There are no hoxe for air mail. There is no domes?tic air mail service 50X1-HUM
vithin Albania.. All air man for foreign destinations must be handed in
person, to the e;nployee at the '.etra Jashte -~,'htetit (Foreign ail booth of
a, Zyra a ostare-?TT; the sender need not identify hiriseif. This is in
accordance with the regulations for mail tu_ . foreign country; it cannot
be dropped in an ordi ry box.
13,
"There is no ooste testantc.,., There ax'- no' pOu3t off ice boxes for private
i4.
citizerzF~~, or ' for officials or ~ tate institutions.
Iori1:.~ it the = .ur Albanian regional capitals,
eslpeci,lly in
there : -;Lail boxes for Letr= a)ydi.ners on
these in addition to the two mail bo _c_~ inside and
building. ' liese additional m i_~Y brxe pie only for
They are rid. Rai ,h the inscription 3 o he ?iii is
hourL
the main streets,
outside the post office
ordinary domestic rail.
collected every 2rI..
~a . "Every house or .p rtanent door is supposed to have
which there is a. slot in the door. But most houses
the mail is thrown. under the door it left with some
n inside mail box, for
don't have such boxes;
neighbor.
+2 ; ' ^P :` r s ri
lfi. , fnve_.r~pes and i~orts~ards are sold only in tixc;Sc.a.#;.6 I derma
rer to re lokz le `trtlkuj ve Per lem R ocol. t ommexcip, i "nterpri: se) . k~hc
prices c,rc ot=: n.daard.ized o~ t ,e
er and envelope - _ ;t cr.tt ?;vey ri lek per' et ('paper and one envelope;
2nd c0legory - ; s_er. ;?,er --;et
3rd crt to ory - `a lek ?--,r .yet
- Ick per card. These arc, old Italian
cards'.
' ormnt:al posh ?d. fold Itz.]..itnx. -CCU Lek e nc1~
+orH38;',.~. postc_n',rd (ncr.' nib bi
Prieto for L omekt:ti.C %'ostal 9erv +.ce'.;
.~ a "Hbo tage wns .t or i times tic ) F. rC ;:iU _d at the titre, Or(tii ere booth
Lyra Postarc -P 11. 'he f oll.owwinr., rates a-)ply:
Postcard
Picture
Ordinary letter
Registered letter
Insl tired Tag' i ti_
Money order;_
?j lek, f?et e of domestic address
_.50 :.ek, regardless of domestic addre:cs-
2.50 lek, regardief. s of domestic ac dr'c:ss:
14.;.00 .Lek a regard! er s of domestic ad,dx>f~,ss
not c .,st
5. lek -)tr 100 plus 5?t'0 Lek. for the
s ect is i. money order form, which is.
5 lek e_act?
a btainet . at booth fbr Pagesa :Peragirnr _
(-,oney (rders )
.'dire money or
f -00
,Lek
the
pc.r i0C lck, plu" 5.00 lek for
raorey order form.
eels
o.()
Lo
nc^r kilt , up, to a mw.imili of' five
ki !.os, ,)Ius 1o..a0 Lek for a special
parc.!e.l !cost fcorm obtained at the booth
for a?k,ndat Poctar (.Oarcei Post). Only
paper s
.a ;dries
Ordinary telegraaons
Urc ent telegram
9
Very urgent, toIegrs.ja
'(teper? _ui, ; j ent )
one kilo of tobacco may be mailed.
lek, up to a nn.xirn.}in of 500 grn weight.
Over th-,,at weit-ht such printed matter
takes t o e' r gv. ,a r -n . tel. rate
1.50 lek: per word
3 . "0 l.ek ?nc:r word.
5.00 .Lek per 4krord
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/01/31 CIA-RDP 80-00926AO07000030044-5
o formalities are tceruirc da Cf 2 ,u, Ica t:; or excU.i ary iaa4.1, except that
each letter rue T: bear the r+#;Xb Vic. t a :; , .t41ti )Ut ui . a ireE5s of both sender
and. addressee. L r the e it " E, ", =7i ale, al s'.1_ :?.'.i, the postcard or
Letter is s ryimpl?y' t'_mrown into .' boy. -f',,r e i r* ry nail. No special
procedures are r'eci"air'ed for rrni.l i.'.uinz t') e;r from 'tce border zones.
"No identification is
Ti her a person is r'eceivim.,, ':.
(a) A recei-pt form is use 1?c0
a e '3 1; 7 -,r
type cf telegram. It is a -
_C! . it has spaces for
r r: 9.
t?.nte ..._;tIer.
owo
x t:,..~ t ion number. The
:;era F; t t.on and handed to
do s. elegram might appear
V ' Fmni mbiemni ..............-.fjale
U ' Vend arbbrlt,~a. a .... p~ ....... , a ..... o . .
L * 7Taksi posstar.oe.e.ioeee...* era
A .Vatae.....l95ooeae,..o.... .m?o....s
f
firma
Lfirma - signature?
(b) A special white printed form is used when sending a parcel post
package. It is about 8 x 521 inches. It has three
identical portions, from left to right: one for the
issuing post office, one to accompany the parcel, the
third as a receipt for the sender. The form costs 5.00
lek. It contains spaces for name, surname aAd address
of the addressee; weight of parcel; locality where
forwarded; sender's name, surname and address; date;
amount for taxation; signature of the comptroller who
weighs it in the booth; full name, stamp and signature'of
the employee in. the Mandat Postar booth, The person sending
a parcel takes it open to the booth. An employee checks
the contents. The sender seals it in the presence of the
employee. The employee weighs the parcel. Then the form is
completed. A typical parcel post form has the following
appearance (in a set of three):
ZYRA. POSTAR,E P T T
No 234567
E.mni mbiemni............
Adresa marsit....... e
?e... o.,..ooe re o.. o.o?so
Mandat pos tar Kg e o. o e. o e
Vend mbrit,a. e....,..mo.
Derguesi.......o.m.eoo..
adresa..........0.0.6.0
D'f'ey e oata cog . o . o .. o . e o .... e o , . ? .
. o . , ... ... . . ... a e . o
Taks !.~eke.e..oao0.seooar.
Nepunsi tyres P T T
at any time, except
; -)a.rc) cost and money orders :
{ the address, the postal
for telegrams, the
^~ r arc d . The left-hand.
r.; .? ;'le :vra Povtare-PIrD
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CONF'IDENT'IAL/US OFFICIA.A ONLY
-6-
~c.):..,.The,form..for a money order costs 5.00 lek. It is a white printed
form, about 52 x 8u inches. It is made in three identical
parts, the same way as the parcel post form. It contains
name, surname and address of addressee; locality where
forwarded;; total amount in lek forwarded (given in numerals
and in words); name, surname acid address of person sending
the money order;'date and hourwhen forwarded. This is
followed by the signature of the employee in the Pagesa
Dergime Marie booth and the stamp of the post office A
typical money order form might appear as follows (in a set; of
three):
ZYRA POSTARE P T T
No 7654
Vend mbritja................
Shuma tehollavet...........
me fjale ....................
Derguesi ...............s...
'{. s ... s ........ a .......... .
Data ...................... .
Ora ........................
`Nepunsi zyres P T T,
Foreign Mail
20. "No foreign mail may be dropped in a PTT box. It must be handed directly
to an employee of the tetra Jashte Shtetit booth, even though it is just an
ordinary letter. The letter must contain the sender'_s name, surname and
full address. Foreign air mail is also handed to this employee. The sender
need not identify himself.
21. "Rates for foreign thail:
Ordinary postcard
Picture postcard
Ordinary letter
Registered letter
Insured mail.
Money orders
Air mail letter
Packages
Ordinary telegrams
(only type possible)
15.,O0' lek
15.00 lek
155.00 lek
21.00 lek
Does not exist
(Do not-know rates, or. if indeed'it
possible to send a money order
of the country)
21.00 lek
(Charges unknown to us)
3.00 lek per word
is
out
22. Newspapers, magazines, books -- all printed matter -- may only be mailed
abroad by the State Publishing House, never by a private individual or by
an enterprise. It is forbidden to send newspaper clippings abroad in a
letter.
50X1-HUM `?
23. "Foreign mail is not delivered to a post office. All foreign mail, except
parcels, is delivered directly to the home of the addressee. Mail from a
Satellite country reaches addresseeszwithin~a?period of 10-20 days. Mail
from other countries takes a minimu. of two--to six months. Heavy duty is
exacted on incoming parcels from abroad; even from a satellite country. Such
parcels are handled directly by the Customs Office. The Customs Office is
located in Tirana on Blv Shqipria e Re. Many people renounce their parcels
because they cannot affordthe duty. An addressee can renounce his parcel
in favor of the Red Cross; that is what most people do.
CO14F1 t:21t1 /YTS-OFFICIALS ONLY
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/01/31 : CIA-RDP80-00926AO07000030044-5
T 1j..
Ala. ",Ptthough we believe that there is no domestic con; orship, people refrain.
from writing L: nothing in a domestic letter th? , m_i ght, set. them, in trouble with
ac,'a authorities. Certain persons, even .c or do,ne:.-tic may be subjects
Of correspondence checks by the eksioni 2nnvet IIhx'epa. sivae (Section of Internal
Af:f airs, which is really the 6igurimi 3ectirity Police).
Jhi.le there is, no official. censorship of forei?;n' rx,.il, the ", S11 conducts
such censorship by simply, not delivering a lettex, to an addressee..
''t? legr~' ms
25. "Ordinary domestic telegrar s to an address inside :'lbania are distributed
within 2i hours, if the location makes that possit>:.c. Urgent telegr,,.,Y~is are
also distributed. within ?4 hours. Very urgent to .e;;;'.. ns are brought
diroc1l;ly to the aridressce?s home, whatever the time of day or night.
he sender '::rites the teiegr ii on 3 yellow 2rintoc. 'form, sized. about 5
7 1 13 inche.ss. he .c d r writes his 1 me ., nd d~ress across the to er eft-
h?a corner. e form h=< : paces for:
Loc:=..lity and name of addressee
Street address of addressee
r.,.te when wire is forwarded
The same form is used for any type of telegram. The form costs nothing.
It is obtained at the Telegrama booth of a Zyra :.'ostare_PnIy ', The printed.
for? appears as follows :
ZY,RA' PC JTARE" TiE T 0N; '.i:'la;L :GRAF
REP 5 T I1 A 1 OPULL0R S11QIPE11ISE
I I,~ ' J n KOM(7I15ACIOIf IT ..V F
T E L E G R A
ri
44[[11~q
4`,A RI~} yA.. . ? ? ? ? . ?. ?..?. 1... . ?.... . . . . ? . .. 4, ? .
ty /r` j{'^^~~
2 P A.y)111,,': 4.0 e . P P . . . P .... , . P P .... P ..... P , ... P .... .... ?
4.
Te 12 2E
"No public i:~ J.e .ihone. booths (List in Albania, except in the Tyra Postare
in Tirana and in the Zyra :i'ostare of the capital of each region. The
main Tirana post office has two booths for calls within the city of '. irana
and sir for telephone calls to other regional capitals. ".0here are no
telephones In, any of the localities which have a Zyra Pos tare -_`11-J1`.0. An
automal:i.c telephone exchange exists only in '2irana.
28, "Onl:y ,~oLitical personages and doctors can get a, private telephone ins to lled.
Other citizens are forbidden telephones. The formalities are unknown to u:.
"A L,ibri Telefonik (Telephone Directory) is issued to a person who has a
telepkionc. ahe game directory can be. consulted at any Zyra Posture which
has a t"r=? iahcrie booth.'
'Telephone. calls c n t - made from Tirana to or from any regional capital,
except Ktkkes, Peshkop Puke end. Tropoje; calls to those four capitals
are limited to local communist officials or other authorities. Telephone
calls abroad may only be made by government officials.
COS31! f)i^ai.=3TI; ...,US OFFICIALS ONLY
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MINI 'IUEr TIAL/UC ur'.V'..CLkT O 0L1
50X1-HUM
"A person mast make reservation t o make a. domestic; telephone call. He
doe, t hic, be~,aeen E .~.: and 1200 hours, and makes the call. in the afte:-noon.
ao nerson?:1. a denti:ica.tion is necessary. ' ''he char-ac, is 20 lek per minute,.
plus 10 lek for the reservation form. The form is -.lso used to invite a
person -t,o a telephone conversation, but only c : -_ler is charged. The
Ia le -Thi.r jje (Telephone Call Reservation form) is. a blue printed form, about
3'by 5 inches. The person sending the ca).l writes his name and address in
the lower left-hand corner; he must also sign the form. The form asks for:
(1) i