TIRANA, Feb 5 /ATA/ – Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha pledged to step up state budget support for agriculture and rural development if the main opposition party is to seize power after the May 11 general elections in Albania.
Presenting his party program for development of agriculture during an event alongside the opposition experts and through the support from the “Konrad Adenauer” Foundation of Germany’s CDU, Berisha underlined that agriculture is one of the main economic pillars of Albania’s economy contributing around 20 percent of the country’s GDP.
“However, a World Bank study has shown that agriculture receives only 0.19% of the country’s GDP in state budget funding or 1/100 of what it generates,” Berisha said, adding that current government has totally ignored agriculture.
According to him, the country’s agricultural output has kept falling in the last three years.
Berisha vowed that if elected, his government would provide a minimum pension of 200 euros for every elderly person in rural areas, whereas state budget funding for the country’s agriculture will triple.
“The government will provide subsidy for each plant, animal and crops. We will remove taxes on agro-processing sector,” he said, stating that he will also put an end to the Open Balkan, saying the initiative has been one of the factors that destroyed fair competitiveness in the region.
Saying that Albania is rich in water sources, the opposition leader also promised to support investment in water irrigation projects in order to further expand the irrigated land area
/j.p/u.sh/
