TIRANA, November 10 – Minister of Finance Petrit Malaj presented the draft budget for 2026 before the Parliamentary Committee on Economy, Employment, and Finance. The opposition boycotted the session.

He said the draft totals 886.7 billion Lekë and aims to keep fiscal stability while supporting social and economic growth. Revenues are planned at 823.1 billion Lekë, while spending will rise by about 55 billion Lekë compared with 2025.

Malaj said the pension reform starts in January 2026 and runs until 2030, costing 10.4 billion Lekë per year. The minimum wage rises by 10,000 Lekë, reaching 50,000 Lekë in January 2026 and 70,000 Lekë by the end of the government’s term.

Public sector wages will be indexed regularly, with increases for over 144,000 employees in specific categories.

Economic growth is projected at 4 percent, unemployment at 8.5 percent, and inflation at 2.2 percent. The budget deficit will fall to 2.3 percent of GDP, while public debt will reach 53.6 percent.

Malaj said the fiscal package for 2026 brings no new taxes and offers relief for businesses and farmers. It includes a 10 percent VAT refund for farmers and a 5 percent property revaluation rate. Public investments total 179.6 billion Lekë, focused on infrastructure, renewable energy, digitalization, and projects under the European Union Growth Plan.

/a.p./