TIRANA, January 26 – Finance Minister Petrit Malaj presented results on reducing informality in the tourism and construction sectors. He highlighted increased business awareness for reporting actual wages and social security contributions.

During a press conference, Malaj said the fight against informality aims to ensure fair competition and protect Albanian consumers.

He explained that Albania is now in the second year of implementing the medium-term revenue strategy, running until 2027. He noted that the strategy, agreed with international partners, focuses on increasing revenue and improving fiscal management without changing tax rates during this period.

Malaj added that the strategy also aims to formalize key sectors with high risk, particularly tourism and construction.

He reported that last year the tourism sector showed strong results in reducing informality. This confirms the sector’s potential as a major driver of economic growth.

Malaj said the average number of employees from January to September 2025 increased by 5% compared to the same period in 2024. He added that total wages rose by 18%, reaching around 162 million euros.

He also noted that social security contributions increased by 18%, reaching about 46 million euros.

In addition, Malaj said that value-added tax collection in tourism rose by 22%, reaching approximately 40 million euros in 2025 compared to 2024.

/a.p./