SARANDE, MAY 9, 2015 - The Mayor of Saranda, Stefan Çipa, and USAID’s Country Representative, Marcus Johnson, launched today the new computerized tax system and the new municipality E-service portal. The systems were developed through USAID’s Planning and Local Governance Project in Albania (PLGP). The tax system will lead to greater tax revenue for the city and improved services for citizens of Saranda.  At the event, the municipality also launched its new online portal: http://www.bashkiasarande.gov.al/, developed by USAID.

Until now, Saranda’s tax department had to do the majority of the work manually. The new system will significantly reduce the amount of time needed for these tasks. With the new computerized system, the tax department will more accurately be able to calculate tax bills and track tax payments, and even develop the necessary revenue projections and analyses so important for city planners and officials.  The automated tax administration system is designed to increase monitoring and evaluations, reduce manual errors, and decrease the one-on-one interactions with tax officials.

The new municipal online portal, apart from replacing the existing webpage, contains useful tools for increasing the information and participation of Saranda citizens. The portal contains information on the municipal council, E-applications, a “Fix my City” application, a dedicated space for tourist information, and the city’s event calendar. Through these new channels of communication, Saranda citizens can easily access the information online and can interact with local authorities.

The USAID Planning and Local Governance Project (PLGP) in Albania works to strengthen local governance in Albania and implement decentralization legislation, policies by providing technical assistance and training to the Government of Albania (GoA) and to Albanian local government institutions. PLGP works for improving the efficiency, transparency and accountability of local government operations.