TIRANA, September 6 – The main goal of the budget review is to extend the financing of the first aid package for consumers in order to further cope with the consequences of the increase in consumer prices through the re-allocation of a contingency fund for the “Resistance Package Social” to the consequences of the crisis at a cost of ALL 6.1 billion, said the Minister of Finance and Economy, Delina Ibrahimaj.
Ibrahimaj made that statement while she presented the normative act for the review of the 2022 budget in the Parliamentary Committee on Economy and Finance on Tuesday. The minister informed that a plan is being drawn up, which aims at a more sustainable medium-term support, given that the crisis is expected to last.
“Our focus is on pensioners and people with disabilities, where our challenge remains to cope with the increase in the price of energy,” she said without giving any financial details like other countries are doing. Kosovo, for example, has earmarked an extra 100 euro per month for pensioners to cope with the current crisis. The bonuses are even higher in EU countries and other European countries.
In the meantime the Minister did not say why there was no money to pay pensions in Tirana on Tuesday after a three-day holiday, when no payment of pensions was made.
ALL 1.67 billion are provided for the financial compensation of the price for some construction materials in the normative act according to the stipulations in the public contracts for work as a result of the special situation created in the market during the year 2022, said Ibrahimaj.
But the Minister was happy that the normative act foresees a real economic growth of 3.2% and reduces the budget deficit and net domestic borrowing by 17 billion ALL being the only country with such a ‘real economic growth’. / Argumentum.al
