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Democratic Party MP Jorida Tabaku said that the weak economic growth in the third quarter, which coincides with the peak of tourist arrivals in the country, proves the facade of a government that has not produced a healthy economy.
As Tabaku analyzes the data for 2023, she says that Albanians are ending this year poorer than the year before.
Jorida Tabak's full reaction:
Albanians are ending the year 2023 poorer than a year ago and completely unprepared for a crisis that will most likely affect their incomes by impoverishing them.
In the tenth year of the socialist government, the Albanian economy fully suffers the consequences of an economic vision built on only one sector; that of construction, which is unfortunately being sponsored in the vast majority by dirty money.
The data from INSTAT speak about the strong decline of the extractive industry and also the processing industry. Thus, the meager economic growth in the third quarter that coincides at the peak of the arrival of tourists in the country proves the facade of a government that has not produced a healthy economy and that responds to risks.
All these data also translate to the declining income of Albanians and GDP/capita. The EUROSTAT figures show not only a frightening difference between the purchasing power of Albanians and the EU average, but are evidence of the ranking as the poorest country in the region.
Since 2013, when this majority won the elections, Albanians have been taxed with a total of 3 billion euros in taxes. Even though taxes have increased, burdening the pockets of the middle class, the revenues that the government collects at the end of the year are the same as a decade ago, at the same time, evidence of clientelistic corruption that, according to the IMF, takes away 10% of GDP a lot of income to the state budget.
According to INSTAT, the real salary for 2022 stripped of the inflationary effect was 1.5%. Meanwhile, the data for 12 counties show us that in 9 of them the real salary is many times smaller than inflation. In the Kukës district, the real salary stripped of inflation is 2.7%, while consumer price inflation is almost 7%.
Comparing Albania with the region shows that we have the highest percentage of the poor (23.9%) and have the lowest social support and pensions, having only 11.5% of GDP for social protection and pensions. Although the government boasts that it is making the biggest wage increase in 30 years, it still spends less than the entire region on wages in relation to GDP. If Serbia spends 10% of GDP on salaries, the Albanian government spends 4.7%, being even lower than Kosovo
For 2024, the data is expected to be even worse, where all freelancers will be taxed up to 23%, while large businesses are taxed at 15% today.
A letter from the exporters to the government warns that over 70,000 families are at risk of ending up on the streets as a result of the government's wrong policies in tolerating large-scale money laundering. It has been this policy that has been tacitly supported and not only has it influenced the senseless devaluation of the Euro that has produced more costs for exporting businesses as the government continues to produce no protection policy for these enterprises.
The only ones that do not suffer any decrease from the budget payments, remains the item of PPP/concessions, which for 2024 will receive 145 million euros more than the current year. The value of PPP contracts is estimated to be as much as 50% of the Gross Domestic Product, where SPAK has under investigation almost 50% of these PPPs.
The dawn of 2024, unfortunately, is a proof that the chaos of a murderous economic policy for the pockets of Albanians in ten years will continue.
Albania today needs to reinvent itself, either in the economic model or in the way it handles resources! Today, the integration process should be used as a way to eliminate the extraordinary income gaps with the region and should focus on increasing and strengthening the advantages we have using the regional market and beyond. Investment in information technology by linking it with education, investment in tourism and agriculture support as well as energy diversification should be the priority. But none of this will have an effect if we do not make the fight against corruption a national priority. Unfortunately, resources are shrinking from corruption!
May 2024 be the best for Albanian families!
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