Pashko Foundation
Pashko Foundation is a non-profit entity emerged from a transformation of Mapo Agency Limited Liability Company into a foundation. It publishes daily ‘Mapo’ and weekly ‘Madam Mapo’ and has an online presence through Mapo.al. The Mapo daily is self-declared "daily libertarian" newspaper and is closely related to the European University of Tirana, a private higher education company. As for 2015, Mapo Agency had 1.9% of the print media market.
Business Form
Private
Legal Form
Nonprofit Corporation
Business Sectors
Publishing
Individual Owner
Henri Çili is the founder of the daily newspaper Mapo and owner of European University of Tirana, UET – a private university. He is a former journalist and media executive. In 2006, he led the daily newspaper Standard and in the same year co-founded UET, after obtaining a license for a higher education institute by the decision of the Council of Ministers, then headed by right-wing Prime Minister Sali Berisha. In 2011, the Berisha government awarded UET the status of university. Çili had only 10% of the company at the beginning but became sole owner through various deals in the following years.
Çili is known for maneuvering between different political forces and presents himself as a libertarian. He is famous for calling Albanians to vote for a third mandate for former Prime Minister Sali Berisha in 2013 and for calling for a second mandate for Edi Rama in 2017. Before supporting publicly Rama, his monthly magazine ‘Mapo’ nominated the current leader of the opposition Lulzim Basha "Man of the Year 2016". He is accused of influencing the Rama initiative for reforming the higher education in Albania, a much debated project that aims to increase tuition fees for students and as well for providing public funds for private universities. Çili denies the allegation.
Other Print Outlets
Mapo Magazine (1.11%)
Madam Mapo (1.08%)
Other Online Outlets
http://madame.mapo.al
Media Business
Publishing
Pashko Foundation (100%)
Business
Education
European Education Initiative Holding (100%)
General Information
Founding Year
2006
Affiliated Interests Founder
Henri Cili – is the founder of Mapo daily and owner of European University of Tirana (UET in Albanian acronym), a private university. He is a former journalist and media director. In 2006, he lead the daily Standard and in the same year co-founded UET after obtaining a license for opening a private Higher Education Institute by decision of the Council of Ministers, then under Prime Minister Sali Berisha. In 2011, the Berisha lead government awarded the status of University. Çili had only 10% of the company at the beginning but became the sole owner through various deals in the following years.
Endri Fuga – is a former activist of Mjaft Movement and founder of Mapo weekly, an NGO based in Tirana, Albania. Currently he works as spokesperson of the Prime Minister Edi Rama. Fuga had 55% in 2006 of Albanian Communication Group, the company that published MAPO Magazine and purchased 15% in 2007 from Sokol Shameti. Fuga sold 55% of his shares to BOIKEN, a construction company for 7.8 million Lek (USD 75.000) in 2009. Fuga sold 16% of the remaining shares to the same company in 2010 for 1.67 million Lek (USD 16.000) .
Arbjan Mazniku – is a former activist of Mjaft Movement an NGO based in Tirana and founder of Mapo weekly, Albania. Mazniku held the position of Deputy Minister of Education 2013-2015 and since 2015 is Deputy Mayor of Tirana Municipality. Mazniku sold 22% of the company to BOIKEN for 3.2 million lek (30,600$) in 2009 the remaining 8% in 2010 for 880,000 Lek (8461$) in 2010.
Sokol Shameti – is a journalist based in Tirana and a civil society activist. He is a founder of and founder of Mapo weekly."
Employees
Missing Data
Contact
Njesia Bashkiake nr.7, Bulevardi Gjergj Fishta, Nr.70, Hyrja 1.
Website: www.mapo.al
Tax/ ID Number
Mapo: K62225006P; EEI: L61419036L
Financial Information
Revenue (Financial Data/ Optional)
Mapo: 0.09 Mio. $ / 87.7 Mio. Lek; E.E.I: 5.92 Mio. $ / 759.9 Mio. Lek
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
Mapo: -0.02 Mio. $ / -2.31 Mio. Lek; E.E.I: 0.62 Mio. $ / 75.5 Mio. Lek
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Management
Supervisory Board
Ervin Bushati – member of the Supervisory Board and a Member of the Parliament, Socialist Party
Armand Shkullaku – member of the Supervisory Board, a journalist and the founder and owner of the online news portal ‘Lapsi.al.’ Shkullaku began his career in the daily newspaper Koha Jone. Shkullaku openly supported opposition protests in the spring of 2017. He is a shareholder in a real estate company named EU 2008, with 5.2% of shares. Shkullaku is also the president of the Association of Professional Journalists of Albania.
Selami Xhepa – member of the Supervisory Board, former Adviser to Sali Berisha and Former MP for the Democratic Party (2009-2013)
Genc Ruli – member of the Supervisory Board, former Minister of Agriculture and former MP for the Democratic Party
Mustafa Nano – member of the Supervisory Board and a journalist.
Other Influential People
Arion Sulo – a journalist and has previously worked in various newspapers, including Koha Jone and Shekulli
Ervis Iljazaj – a lecturer of the European University of Tirana. He has his op-ed column in Mapo newspaper daily.
Fitim Zekthi – the editor of comments section in Mapo Newspaper. He is a journalist and competed for parliament in the list of Democratic Party in his native region of Elbasan in 2017. He was not elected.
Further Information
Meta Data
Pashko Foundation is a non-profit entity. It is a successor of Mapo Agency, a limited liability company. Its ownership structure and financial statements are published in Albanian National Business Registry. For the purpose of evaluating weigh of assets and revenues of this company in the print media market, MOM have calculated the value of assets, revenues and profits of 11 Print Media Companies. The companies included in the calculation are as follows: Panorama, Gazeta Shqiptare, Koha Jone, Mapo, Shekulli, Tema, Dita, Shqiptarja.com, Standard and Monitor.
The ownership structure and financial statement are publicly available on the Albanian National Business Registry. The financial data provided are for 2015. Mapo Agency has ceased to report revenues during 2016 transition to non-profit entity. The Central Bank's average exchange rate for 2016 was used to convert the amounts into USD.
