FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Albanian Parliament has rejected by a majority vote the request of the Democratic Party parliamentary group to hold an interpellation with the Minister of Agriculture, Andis Salla.
The request for an interpellation was submitted by opposition MP Xhelal Mziu, who aimed to obtain clarifications from the minister regarding IPARD funds. However, during the vote in the plenary session, the parliamentary majority voted against, preventing the interpellation from taking place.
In response, Xhelal Mziu considered this decision inappropriate. During his speech, he raised concerns regarding the blocking of IPARD funds, emphasizing that OLAF has considered 33 million euros as theft.
"I and a group of MPs had requested an interpellation with the Minister of Agriculture and suddenly you cancel this interpellation. You were wrong, since IPARD funds are mentioned, it conflicts with SPAK, Parliament and SPAK are two different institutions. It is unfair and inappropriate. I should be given the right to interpellation. You hid behind an excuse that it is SPAK that is investigating IPARD funds. We did not ask to become prosecutors for the Minister of Agriculture, but advocates for the situation of agriculture. We have a regression starting in 2020 in agriculture, which has decreased by 1% and has continued every year until 2026, which is most unfortunate, because funds for agriculture have decreased significantly, unlike the budget that continues to grow.
It is the third year that we do not receive money from EU funds, there are 33 million euros that OLAF has considered as theft and they have been clear, that the money should be returned and the relevant persons should be held responsible for this scandal. Let's not forget the effects that the floods had, which have caused damages of more than 300 million euros.
In Albania, there is a 145 million euro budget for agriculture and only 43 million euros go directly to farmers.
We have the smallest budget support in the region, only 1.8% of the state budget, 2 times less than Kosovo and 5 times less than Serbia. Today we have the highest oil price in Albania. Which farmer is doing oil processing at these prices?
You are the only government in the world that rubs its hands together when there is a war because you raise prices to stratospheric levels.
"This is the reason I requested an interpellation, because it is a real concern, I do not want to play the role of prosecutor for the Minister of Agriculture," said Mziu.
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