TIRANA, Dec 12 /ATA/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Friday that his government has raised by 60% the 2026 budget for programmes promoting youth employment.
Addressing an event with young people hired through state-backed schemes, the government head said the self-employment programme was delivering “notable results”.
“The self-employment programme has generated very encouraging data. We want to increase the number of young people who choose to become self-employed,” he said.
Rama added that the government’s support went beyond start-ups.
“This is not only about start-ups; it covers all types of initiatives. Young people who want to work for themselves and open a small business are a key focus of this support,” Rama said.
The Premier underlined that the next year’s budget would be the largest ever dedicated to boosting youth employment.
“It is a significant budget. It is the biggest allocation we have ever made for promoting youth employment. We have increased the amount dedicated to young people by 60%,” he said.
Rama urged young people to apply for the employment schemes, warning that “failure to use these funds would be unacceptable.”
“There is 60% more funding for youth employment programmes, but that also requires more applicants,” Rama said. “It would be a scandal if, due to a lack of applications, we failed to use all these funds, which we aim to triple over the next three years.”
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