The Ombudsman Institution organized an open and very dynamic meeting in Berat today, with the aim of increasing institutional cooperation and directly addressing the concerns of the local community.

The meeting began with opening remarks by the Ombudsman, Endrit Shabani, the Mayor of Berat, Ervin Ceca, and the District Prefect, Valbona Zylyftari.

The activity then continued with a lively question-and-answer session, where citizens and participants had the opportunity to raise their voices and communicate without intermediaries with senior leaders.

Citizens recounted concrete problems related to issues such as housing or property, while responsible officials provided explanations for the cases and, with the encouragement of the Ombudsman, undertook to resolve them in a timely manner.

The Ombudsman, Endrit Shabani, emphasized the importance of accountability to citizens:

"Our regional offices aim to be as close as possible to every citizen and to serve as a bridge between the community and institutions. There can be no welfare or justice without a public administration that listens attentively and protects the rights of citizens."

Local leaders of the most key institutions in the region, such as the State Cadastre Agency, the social services, housing or economic assistance departments, actively participated in this session and gave their accounts.

Thanks to face-to-face communication, two families received concrete solutions: one who was seeking social housing due to the blind head of the household, and another who was awaiting the privatization of the apartment and the removal of dangerous asbestos roofing material.

The Ombudsman thanks the citizens for their trust and the presentation of personal problems, and also congratulates the leaders of the institutions for their presence and the initiative to resolve the issues raised in this forum.