TIRANA, Nov 14 /ATA/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Friday that pensions in Albania will rise from January 1 next year and assured retirees they will also receive their year-end bonus in December, dismissing claims that the bonus had already been distributed earlier in the year.
Speaking at a meeting with residents in Tirana’s Municipal Unit No. 2 while presenting the objectives of next year’s draft budget, Rama said the government has allocated 1.7 billion euros for pension increases nationwide.
He said the medium-term budget framework foresees a total of 1.7 billion euros in additional pension support over the next four years. “This is the major investment of our fourth term, enabling us to reach the target we have set for raising the average pension,” Rama said.
Rama added that sustained economic growth – which he noted has been positively assessed by the IMF – should translate into inclusive gains.
“The fact that all pensioners will benefit from this continuous economic growth is something that also gives me relief,” he said.
The government head confirmed the year-end bonus will be paid in the first days of December. “It will be given exactly as last year, because it is intended to support pensioners during the holidays,” Rama said.
The Premier said pensions will be increased every January over the next five years, ultimately reaching five times the January 2026 increase by the end of the period. He added that annual pension indexation will continue, with an allocated fund of about 50 million euros.
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