TIRANA, July 20 /ATA/-By Maela Marini/ Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the country’s steady economic growth in recent years has created greater financial capacity to address the needs of the most vulnerable groups in society.
Rama made the remarks during a visit to the “Jonathan” Social Center, where he met with mothers and support staff of children and young people with disabilities. Discussions focused on increase twice as high of financial support for this group, as well as new health and social protections for their caregivers.
The Prime Minister assured that the government remains highly focused on ensuring that the benefits of economic development are felt by the most vulnerable groups.
“But in order to do more, we need to expand opportunities. To expand opportunities, we need to grow the economy. To grow the economy, we need to increase investment. To increase investment, we need to build greater confidence. And to build greater confidence, we all need to have a more accurate understanding of things together, and so on,” Rama said.
The Prime Minister stressed that the government does not operate through seasonal initiatives or campaigns, but remains continuously engaged.
“The distinction I always try to make is that those who are physically or mentally unable to provide for themselves are the ones who are most vulnerable. Someone who does not want to work and prefers to rely on economic assistance is not necessarily the person most in need. Nor is someone who is offered a job but turns it down because they want to continue receiving financial aid, while perhaps also working informally elsewhere. The people who need support the most are those who do not have the physical capacity [to work],” Rama said.
Rama said the decision to double financial support for children and young people with disabilities was not driven by an election campaign, but represented a commitment that the government had made and fulfilled.
He added that the government was not legally required to provide the additional €50 pension bonus, which he said was made possible by economic growth exceeding expectations. Rama criticized those who mocked the measure, saying pensioners themselves understood the value of the extra support given the country’s current financial capacity.
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