 | |
| Company type | Public limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Postal service |
| Founded | 5 December 1912 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Etjen Xhafaj (Administrator)[1] |
| Owner | Albanian Government[2] |
| Website | www |
Posta Shqiptare is the nationalpostal service ofAlbania.Posta Shqiptare sh.a. is apublic limited company owned by theAlbanian Government. As of 2017 its CEO was Laert Duraj.[3]
Albania's postal service dates back to theOttoman Empire. Based on historical archives and contemporary sources, the first post offices probably opened during the 1840s and 1850s. A more organized service started in 1878, and offices were opened in every city. At the end of the 19th century and in the early 20th century, two overseas shipping companies established offices in Albania, which also served as post offices for deliveries abroad. These were theAustrian Lloyd Company and theItalian Company ofApulia. They had establishments in all coastal cities of Albania:Shkodër,Durrës,Vlorë,Sarandë andShëngjin.[4]
On 5 December 1912, one week after Albania declared its independence, theProvisional Government of Ismail Qemali founded the Albanian postal, telephonic and telegraphic services. The Provisional Government also founded the Ministry of Telegraphs and Communications, whose first minister wasLef Nosi. The first Albanian postal stamps were issued on 5 May 1913. Under this government, six different stamps were produced.[5]
On 7 July 1913, theAlbanian Provisional Government applied to become a member of theGeneral Postal Union, a process that was completed on 1 March 1922. During this time, 17 offices were connected by 1,400 km (870 mi) of cables. The headquarters inTirana consisted of a director, four telegraphists, a prime telegraphist, two postal workers and a delivery worker. In 1938, 68 postal offices and agencies operated throughout Albania. As Italian investment grew in the country, the need to communicate with Italy became more important. For this reason, theAlbanian government decided to install a short-wave radio station, which enabled telephone and telegraph connections betweenRome andTirana.[6]
DuringWorld War II, many networks and lines were damaged. In 1946, a new telephone line was installed between Tirana andPeshkopi, which was extended to connect Tirana withBelgrade andSkopje. Connections were established throughout the country and by the 1970s post offices opened in every city or village in Albania.
Many international companies, such asDHL,TNT,UPS andFedEx, started operating in Albania. Posta Shqiptare began to providefinancial services. From 1998 to 2001, the infrastructure was improved, funded by private investment. In September 1999, law number 8530 was approved byParliament. According to the law, postal services can be offered by any postal company, except for those reserved for Posta Shqiptare. Since 2008, Posta Shqiptare has 15 postal affiliates and 19 branches. It offers service to 553 post offices throughout Albania. Albanian Post (based onPAP1) offers free internet at 553 offices. Albanian Post planned to start the implementation of PAP2 in cooperation withPrefectures,Municipalities andCommunes of the country, adding 1200 points of free internet.
