TIRANA, Aug 19 /ATA/ – Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha has accused the national statistics agency, INSTAT, of misrepresenting export figures by including goods in transit to Kosovo.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the main opposition party leader called the practice “public deception,” claiming that re-exports – particularly fuel and other goods entering Albania through Durrës Port and transiting to Kosovo – are being wrongly recorded as Albanian exports.
Berisha further argued that the appreciation of the Albanian lek, allegedly fueled by illicit drug money entering the country, has severely impacted exporters.
“The narcotics economy has driven down the euro’s value by 35% since 2014, devastating Albanian exporters who operate in euros,” he said.
The opposition leader also criticized government claims about tourism growth, stating that passengers using Albania’s airports for low-cost flights are wrongly counted as tourists, despite not staying or spending in the country.
Berisha accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of manipulating economic indicators to mask what he called the rise of a “narco-economy” and a shrinking industrial and agricultural base.
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