TIRANA, April 10 /ATA/ Minister of Finance Petrit Malaj, accompanied by Director General of the Tax Office Ilir Binaj, held a meeting with business representatives operating in the tourism sector in the city of Berat.
The meeting focused on challenges facing these businesses, their cooperation with the Tax Administration and the progress of the Berat region’s tourism operational plan.
Malaj stressed that formalizing the tourism sector is vital to national economic growth. He called for accurate wage declarations and higher salaries to improve employee welfare, alongside improved business turnover reporting to boost fiscal transparency.
Referring to the city of Berat, Malaj noted that despite the success of year-round tourism, achieving true sustainability requires greater, fairer competition, higher service standards and better pay.
According to data, Berat’s tourism industry is characterized by 746 active taxpayers, with 50 operating within the VAT scheme. The sector generates millions of lekë in VAT—a share of local economic activity. Despite an increase in the workforce, the industry must prioritize labor formalization and the optimization of employee compensation.
The open discussion allowed business leaders to highlight their need for workforce development and sustainable tourism policies. /e.xh/j.p/p.s./
