Albanian Parliament is discussing the draft law “On the budget of 2021”.
Socialist MP Anastas Angjeli is expected to speak during the session as rapporteur of the draft law. The Committee on Economy and other parliamentary committees are also expected to give their opinion.
As Exit News has previously written, the draft budget 2021 drafted by the government is a budget for the election year, with optimistic claims of the government for revenue collection and which provides for the allocation of about $ 400 million in new concession contracts.
The Bank of Albania, during the meeting with the Committee on Economy, expressed its concern about the forecasts made by the government in the draft budget 2021, especially for the collection of revenues for 2021, investments through Public-Private Partnerships and high public debt.
Among other things, the BoA has recommended to the government to be careful with the expenditures foreseen in the high draft budgets and to base them depending on the pace of revenue collection.
Regarding public debt, the BoA expresses concern that despite the government’s forecast to reduce debt by two percentage points by the end of 2021, the level of debt remains worrying.
Minister of Reconstruction, Arben Ahmetaj spoke in parliament and called the budget an indicator that “the Rama government has responded to crises”.
Speaking in the assembly with the opposition MP Halit Valteri, Ahmetaj said that the opposition’s criticism of the draft budget is expected, but that it is a budget that will build houses for 36,000 families damaged by the earthquake.
“This budget shows that the government has the opportunity to respond to crises. A majority that falls short of the crisis, the earthquake and manages to recover rapidly within a year of economic growth.
Today we are in an advanced stage of reconstruction and 36,000 families will benefit from the reconstruction. 620 million only from internal sources of Albanian money will go in favour of Albanian families. “
Ahmetaj stated that the reconstruction program ‘is unique’:
“Find me a place where a person has lost their home and it is given back to you for free. Italy does not give free housing gives soft loans. Imagine Albanians in the bank queuing to get home loans. The government made a bone marrow-based program to provide homes to rebuild homes. By the end of the mandate, we will have finished houses.”
To date, only a handful of houses have been rebuilt and one school. Others have not been started or are in varying stages of construction.
