"Soft loan and sovereign guarantee for agriculture" - Rama: "The sky is the limit" for the development of agritourism in Albania
With two new lines of financing for agriculture, such as soft loans and sovereign guarantees, the country's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, emphasized in an information meeting with entrepreneurs in the agritourism sector in Kuçova. The soft loan, with a financing line of 250 million euros and an interest rate of 3.5%, combined with the sovereign guarantee, reduces this rate to 2% and covers the collateral up to 70%.
"The loan is fantastic at 2%, the loan at 2% is really fantastic with 70% of the guarantee on the collateral, which is something very valuable for you. This is a message for all those who still have doubts. In the meantime, we already have the mountain package available. We will make a full presentation and we have overcome by law, not by words, all the obstacles, especially for those who are in emigration and want to invest, but who do not have property documents. This is because in many areas, especially in the north of Albania, but also in some areas in the south, law 7501 has not been accepted and people have remained on the lands of their ancestors. They do not have conflicts with each other, but legally they have not had the opportunity to register their property."
Among other things, Rama stated that Albania has significantly improved its trade deficit from 2013 to date. According to INSTAT data, fruit and vegetable exports have shown continuous growth, with greens having the greatest impact.
"We have very good results in reversing the trade deficit. When we took office, the ratio was 1 to 7 or 1 to 8 for food, so we exported 1 unit and imported 8. Today we are at a ratio of 1 to 3 and the ambition is to reduce it to 1 to 2, something that is completely achievable. The current ratio shows that we produce much more for the domestic market and for export. A large part of the products that were previously imported are now covered by the domestic market. As Evin Demo says: 'The sky is the limit' - the sky is our limit. We must always aim higher. This philosophy has also found embodiment in your work. What you have built from nothing is a fantastic example and we are available to support it."
The head of government also touched on the Mountain Package, a new initiative aimed at facilitating land disposal. According to him, emigrants who want to return will have the opportunity to invest in the lands of their ancestors and will benefit from a 10-year tax-free fiscal facility for the construction of agrotourism structures and the development of mountain tourism.
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