SEPA "changes" Albania, 70 million euros of benefits expected/ Foundation: It goes above 2% of GDP, BoA assessment by the end of 2026
By 2026, the economic benefit from the costs of SEPA transactions is expected to be around 70 million euros. The Director of the Monetary Policy Department at the Bank of Albania, Erald Themeli, tells SCAN TV that this is the assessment made by this institution, a benefit that exceeds 2% of our country's current GDP.
"The bank's assessment is that by 2026, the benefits that the Albanian economy will have in terms of transaction costs will be around 70 million euros for just 1 calendar year, a benefit that exceeds 2% of Albania's current GDP, " Themeli tells SCAN.
Over 360,000 cross-border transactions worth 4 billion euros were carried out on the SEPA platform in 6 months. Themeli says that this large volume of exchange guarantees lower costs, faster transfers and higher security for Albanian businesses and families.
" For the 6-month period, the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, over 360 thousand cross-border transactions were carried out on the SEPA platform, amounting to 4 billion euros, a large volume of exchange, which offers on the one hand lower costs, faster transfers and greater security for both businesses and families that use this instrument, " says Themeli.
Also, the Director of the Monetary Policy Department at the Bank of Albania, Erald Themeli, adds that the benefits are not only in terms of costs, but also in terms of encouraging the use of official banking financial channels in terms of transactions, as they provide the opportunity to have a clearer picture and strict control over financial flows and accelerate the process of integration of the payment system.
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