"Historic budget, 1.7 billion euros for pensioners" - Prime Minister Edi Rama presents the 2026 draft budget to the Parliament
Prime Minister Edi Rama is presenting the draft state budget for 2026 at the plenary session of the Parliament. Among other things, the Prime Minister stated:
" This is a historic budget for the Socialist Party as it commits 1.7 billion euros in increases for pensioners in the medium-term budget and the good thing about this work is that the facts remain and the words are lost in the wind. The more it is said that we are not increasing pensions, the more pensioners will be convinced that there is no other alternative in Albania for their grandchildren and for them except the Socialist Party. We continue with social protection, which today reaches 257 billion lek, or with an increase of 11.6 billion lek, 116 million euros. This amount for social protection is more than double the protection that Albanians had when we took office. Furthermore, pensioners are the main topic of this budget and will be the main topic of this mandate, but without forgetting those who continue to be in the economic assistance scheme, the disabled and without forgetting the necessity for a new issue and a new impetus in terms of housing and remaining fundamentally close to all young families with the continuation of the baby bonus.
Another commitment made in the spring is the increase in the minimum wage, which as of January will be 500 euros and will continue to increase within the fourth mandate with the ambitious objective that by the end of this mandate the minimum wage in Albania will be 700 euros. There was talk here of a big amnesty. It is true. It is a fiscal amnesty that will be given to all businesses, giving them the opportunity to close all old issues and facilitating relations with the tax administration and their administrative costs. Therefore, I invite businesses to carefully read our fiscal package and refer to fiscal peace .
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