The administrator of the Albanian Postal Service, Ervin Bushati, says that the last two years have not been easy for this institution, but that he emphasizes that he has successfully managed to perform all services to citizens and keep them connected. This year, Bushati says they will focus on improving the services they offer and technological development, especially in providing online products. The head of the Albanian Postal Service, in an interview for KosovaPress, talks about the challenges faced by this institution, plans for this year and cooperation with the Postal Service of Kosovo. The earthquake and pandemic further aggravated the situation in Albania, affecting all institutions. In the period of total closure, the Postal Service distributed pensions and disability payments, and provided services for the payment of obligations to the state, facilitating the work of both citizens and institutions to function normally. Bushati: Due to the earthquake and the pandemic, the last two years have been difficult "Albania had the misfortune to face the earthquake and the pandemic, we spent two very difficult years, so the Postal Service has definitely had an additional task to keep the society connected, to keep people close to one another, to serve the people and make them feel alive even during the lockdown, during the pandemic We have also served as a public information institution, we have distributed pensions, social assistance for people with disabilities, we have made a series of payments which through the Albanian Postal Service enabled the institutions of the Albania to work, and all citizens have been able to continue their lives in interaction with these institutions. This is a company, which as I said has a very good and long tradition. I took this office with privilege and responsibility. A very good job has been done by my predecessors, an institution that works very well has been built," he says. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Bushati says he has opened the possibility for the development of online commerce. For this reason, he says that the Albanian Postal Service is working to respond to the society through online services. Bushati: We are trying to respond to technological trends "These two years have shown us that technology and the economy have also changed, a lot of things have been put online today. Trade, transportation, this e-commerce, so online commerce seems to be the future and is here to stay, we won’t change it anymore. For this reason, we are trying to respond to society in terms of technology and services. People today have seen that it works very well, you can order and buy from zour home, and why not continue this trend, and we will make this possible. We have an advantage that we are everywhere, we are reliable, we have been in the market for so many years", he says. This year, The Albanian Postal Service marks its 110 anniversary of operation, however Bushati says that as an institution they have many challenges they face, where he mentions the unlicensed postal operators and the lack of a complete directory. Despite this, he says that for the citizens of Albania, as the oldest postal institution, they offer over 100 services in over 560 offices throughout the country. Bushati: The post office today is ‘a one stop-shop’ "I think that the Post Office, as everywhere in the world today, is at best a 'one stop shop', ie a place where all services are performed. Citizens, consumers have limited time on their hands, they have many different desires and agendas, so that as many things as possible should be done in the shortest possible time to continue the day. So, at the Post Office, the citizens can pay bills for electricity, water supply, taxes or other obligations to the state, fines, etc. can be paid. So, there are over 100 different financial products offered by the Post Service. We want everyone to have a post office near their home, to go and promptly take care of the obligations they have and go on with their life. We want to offer the highest quality services to the citizens", says Bushati. The Albanian Postal Service during the last year has distributed bonuses and pensions given by the Government of Albania. The administrator of the Albanian Postal Service, Ervin Bushati, states that they have managed to fulfill this task with full responsibility. Bushati: We worked hard to distribute bonuses and pensions "We have worked overtime, we worked on holidays and with extended hours to allocate these funds. I think that to date we are talking, about 95 percent of the work has been done, there may be some citizens who live abroad or are immigrants, or may have been on vacation, but it is a high figure, there are about 700 thousand people who have received this service for free in record time and we hope with a lot of quality from our offices ... We’ve faced many changes during the pandemic, many people were staying locked in their homes and we had to distribute the pensions to the families. There are about 280 thousand families who receive these services at home. It worked very well, even in the most remote villages of Albania, from Tropoja to Saranda, it is a service that is highly valued, especially by citizens who are old or have difficulty getting out", he says. Bushati for KosovaPress also talks about the cooperation they have with the Postal Service of Kosovo, where he emphasizes that the first visit after taking office as administrator of the Albanian Postal Service was made to the Postal Service of Kosovo. He says that they have an excellent cooperation as two postal institutions, but he says that in the coming years they will intensify the support for each other even more. Bushati: We have a wonderful cooperation with the Postal Service of Kosovo "There are many relations of the Postal Service of Kosovo that are established with the mediation of Albania. This is due to the countries or institutions that have not yet recognized Kosovo. We have a wonderful cooperation, we help them in everything, free of charge, free of charge, and will we try to help them in everything in the future, as in the recognition of Kosovo in all institutions related to the Postal Services in the world and the Union ... I hope that Kosovo, with all the challenges it has as a new country, often in economy and energy, which may be temporary challenges, will have the opportunity to provide the best postal service. So, both countries can learn a lot from each other, so it is a healthy symbiosis," he says. In the end, the head of the Albanian Postal Service talks about the plans he has for this year, where he says that he will work to increase the number of services. Bushati: We will be able to offer other products "We definitely have to deal with the challenges, the technology and the conditions that the time we live in imposes on us. I think every crisis and every challenge is actually an opportunity for development, everything that has happened so far has made the economy to grow, so there is always room for improvement and to increase the range of products and services. So, we think that from over 100 products we have, we will be able to offer other products, improve the ones we have and why not to be much more competitive in the market. Technology is evolving and it has opened our eyes, opened up opportunities, reshaped us, there are some sectors that are more difficult but I see it more as an opportunity to move forward and I hope 2022 will be the year of great change for this company," says Bushati. Ervin Bushati was elected head of the Albanian Post in September 2021.