REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR FORESTS AND PASTURES


DRAFT-INSTRUCTION

No. 2, dated 23/07/1999

ON

Implementation of the provisions foreseen by the Law No. 8302 dated 12 March 1998 "On the administration of incomes generated by the State Forests and Pastures" are issued the following

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. All Communes that have received in use State Forests and Pastures should deposit, into a special bank account opened for the communal forests and pastures project, all revenues paid by the villagers and/or other users. These incomes may be in the form of tariffs for collecting working materials, fire woods, oak leaf and fodder; penalties, sales of seized forest materials, and any other type of tariffs and levies related to the use of the forests and pastures.
  2. At the beginning of each year, the Communes, in co-operation with the head of each village and the villages’ commission on forests and pastures, should evaluate the requests for utilisation of the forests and pastures and prepare the annual contracts. The inspector of the forest services (DGFP Field District Office) should approve the contracts before its entering into force.
  3. The head of the village in co-operation with the communal forest specialist will collect the amount due providing the beneficiary with a receipt. The licence granting the permission to exercise the activity is issued after payment. The licence should define the place, the duration and the technical conditions for the protection of the forest and pasture.
  4. All incomes are recorded, by village, in a specific account kept by the communal accountant.
  5. Each year will be prepared, at the end of November, a statement showing the total income deposited in the bank account divided by village and type of revenue.A similar statement showing how the funds collected were employed in investment activities and their level of completion will also be prepared.Both reports will be sent to the DGFP HQ through the District Forest Office.
  6. The total revenues as appearing in the statement mentioned under 5 above, will be divided between the Communes and the State according the percentage given in Appendix 1 to the Law No.8302, "On the administration of incomes generated by the State Forests and Pastures".

  7. The quota pertaining to the Government will then be transferred directly by the Communes to the State Treasury account within one month from the preparation of the report.

    The remaining quota constitutes the Investment Fund to be used for the improvement of the communal forests and pastures.

  8. The Investment Fund is managed through a Management Board composed by:
  1. The Committee of the Association for the use of the Communal Forests and Pastures prepares, in co-operation with the communal forest specialist and based on priorities expressed by the village committees, the plans for the use of the Investment Funds in those areas such as forest treatments, improvements, protection of degraded areas and others. The plans should first be approved by the Communal Council and than submitted to the Investment Fund Management Board for consideration and approval.
  2. The projects approved will be implemented in co-operation with the DGFP District Office in accordance with the provisions of Instructions 308 issued by the Minister of Agriculture and Food "On the administration of forests and pastures given in use to communes".
  3. A detailed procedure on how to implement these instructions is attached.