Minister Delina Ibrahimaj said the 2026 draft budget focuses on higher incomes and stronger business support. First, she said pensions will rise for urban and rural categories. Urban pensions will increase from 27,000 to 40,000 lek, while partial pensions will average 22,000 lek. Meanwhile, rural pensions will reach about 18,000 lek. These increases will continue each year until 2030.

Next, Ibrahimaj said the minimum wage will reach 500 euros on January 1 and 700 euros by the end of the mandate. This measure supports around 300,000 workers. In addition, the government will subsidize social and health insurance contributions to help businesses cope with the raise.

She also noted that 90% of small businesses pay no profit tax, keeping 1.7 billion lek in family budgets each year. Furthermore, she said a new tax approach will start on January 1. Businesses will pay tax based on past revenues, while extra income will be taxed at 5% instead of 15%.

Ibrahimaj added that the new fiscal package helps businesses correct their financial statements. The review fee will rise to 5% from 1%.

Finally, she said the 2026 budget allocates 12 million euros for training and self-employment programs to meet labor-market needs. She stressed that the draft budget supports all social groups, especially low-income families, and promotes stable growth. She also said all public-sector salaries will be indexed from January 1, and the average public wage has reached 1,000 euros.

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