Government should enact a set of measures to ease the economic difficulties due to increased consumer prices, including oil and gas prices. That is the proposal form the opposition Democratic Party, which replied to the earlier warning by Prme Minister Edi Rama that the country would face a difficult winter due to increased fuel prices.
Democrat leader Lulzim Basha published a set of 7 measures in his Facebook page, on Sunday afternoon, including lowering taxes on fuel and subsidising of power for household consumption.
The main proposal, however, is the reduction of the value-added tax (VAT) on basic consumer goods to 6% from the current 20% rate. This measure would have significant consequences on revenues—VAT counts for more than half of public revenues in Albania. It should be noted that it was not part of the DP’s election manifesto in last April’s elections, which Democratic Party lost.
