Ibrahimaj in interpellation in the Parliament: The government has curbed the impact of the fuel crisis on the economy
The Minister of Economy and Innovation, Delina Ibrahimaj, held an interpellation in Parliament today on the increase in fuel prices and the measures taken by the government to protect citizens and maintain the country's economic stability.
In her speech, Minister Ibrahimaj emphasized that the increase in fuel prices is a direct consequence of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, uncertainties in global energy markets and fluctuations in international supply chains, developments that have affected all economies linked to international markets.
The minister announced that the Albanian government has reacted from the first moments of the crisis, initially guaranteeing the security of fuel supply and then monitoring the market to avoid speculation and price abuses.
"We have acted in a timely, responsible and prudent manner. We have avoided panic, we have avoided speculation and we have chosen to react calmly and responsibly, through market monitoring, transparency and targeted support," said Ibrahimaj.
Our main task, the minister emphasized, is to maintain economic stability.
"In such risky situations, we have taken care to monitor the increase in costs and also attempts to create panic and speculation in the market. For this very reason, state intervention through monitoring and transparency, in our judgment, is essential," declared Minister Ibrahimaj.
"We judge that, overall, the measures taken, which were cautious, not hasty and undertaken at the right time, were the right measures for the economic structure of the country," she continued.
Minister Ibrahimaj also underlined that the measures taken by the Albanian government have also been appreciated by international financial institutions, as they have been targeted towards the most needy groups.
"The measures taken by the Albanian government have been appreciated because they have been oriented towards the strata that could not afford the price increases," said the minister.
"We have not waited for a crisis to increase salaries. We have taken care to increase salaries, to increase the minimum wage, to index pensions every year, so that price increases are not a burden for pensioners. So, we have taken measures and policies in order to guarantee that inflation does not erode the incomes of Albanian citizens," declared the Minister.
Ms. Ibrahimaj emphasized that in the context of the situation resulting from tensions in the Middle East, inter-institutional monitoring groups have been established, while the Fuel Transparency Board has been activated, which controls trading margins and guarantees the fair reflection of international stock market fluctuations in the domestic market.
Referring to data from the international Platts Mediterranean stock exchange, the minister emphasized that the price of oil has increased by up to 87% compared to the pre-crisis period, while in the domestic market the increase in fuel prices has been significantly more moderate, averaging 18–21% during the months of March-April 2026.
She also emphasized that food inflation has remained at low levels, while the government has continued to support citizens through increasing the minimum wage, indexing pensions, and subsidizing public transportation.
"Albania, in April 2026, has an inflation of 2.8%, which means that inflation remains close to the Bank of Albania's target and guarantees economic development close to the economy's potential. In March, inflation was 2.6%, in February 2.5% and in January 2.3%," said Ibrahimaj.
Albania, the minister underlined, ranks among the countries with the lowest inflation in the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe.
"For comparison, in the same month, inflation in Serbia was 3.3%, in Montenegro 3.8%, in North Macedonia 5.7%, in Greece 5.4%, in Croatia 5.8% and in Romania 10.7%. Italy was at the same level as Albania, 2.8%, while France was 2.2%", the minister said.
In her speech, the minister also brought to attention the positive indicators of the Albanian economy during the first months of 2026, where in the first two months alone, 3,760 new businesses were registered, or 14.6% more compared to the previous year.
Minister Ibrahimaj guaranteed that the government will continue monitoring the situation and will take every necessary measure to protect Albanian families and maintain the country's economic stability.
"The government will not sit idly by if the situation worsens, but unnecessary interventions, when the market is functioning, constitute mismanagement of public resources," declared Minister Ibrahimaj.
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