Rama said the government was also preparing separate legislation to ease cost-of-living pressures and address inequalities arising from rapid economic growth.

One proposed measure would impose a higher property tax on owners who leave apartments vacant rather than rent them out.

“People have the right to keep their apartments empty, but they should pay more, as is happening in several other European countries facing rising housing costs,” Rama said.

The government also plans to impose a higher tax on coastal villas and charge substantially more for water used to fill their swimming pools, although those measures would be introduced through separate legislation, he said.

A surcharge on luxury cars would be included in the 2027 fiscal package, Rama added.

The government also plans to establish a specialised income-control bureau within the Finance Ministry to scrutinise income declarations by high earners.

Under the proposed system, income tax declaration forms would be redesigned to follow European Union formats. Individuals earning relatively high incomes would be required to complete forms similar to asset declarations that public officials have long been required to submit, Rama said.

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Data from the General Directorate of Road Transport Services shows that passenger cars dominated the figures, accounting for 46,446 units or 79.5% of total registrations between January and July.

The General Directorate of Road Transport Services data show a slight rise in first-time vehicle registrations.

Thus, the total registered vehicles in Albania reached about 1.1 million by the end of July.

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Albania has many historic vehicles. The “RETRO” Commission checks and certifies them. By June 2020, they verified 786 cars. Out of those, 574 passed the rules to get “RETRO” status. However, the public collection currently shows only 390 of these approved cars.

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According to data from the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) on the fourth quarter of 2025, Tirana holds the dominant share of vehicles (34.7%), followed by Durrës (13.6%). Meanwhile, Gjirokastra (2.1%) and Kukës (2.4%) have the fewest.

During this quarter, a total of 24,854 vehicles were registered for the first time. Of these new registrations, 81.2% were cars, with Tirana region accounting for the largest share of new registrations at 40.3% of the total.

Compared to the same quarter of 2024, the total vehicle fleet grew by 9.3%, with new registrations rising by 8.5%. Volkswagen led the market in first-time registrations with an 18.6% share, followed by Mercedes-Benz at 17.5%. /j.p/p.s./

The Directorate said that during the current week too, the passion for cars of different eras has been accompanied by the presentation of several iconic models, which represent the pinnacle of design and engineering of the time.

During this session, there were evaluated some vehicles that have left their mark on the German and American automotive industry, offering a broad panorama of technical developments from the 70s to the late 90s. Each vehicle carried unique elements of its own style, from European luxury and elegance to American power and sporty character.

During the current week, there were presented these vehicles: 1987 Mercedes-Benz W126 560SEL –the top-of-the-line luxury sedan of its time, a symbol of German luxury and innovation of the S-Class line; 1994 Pontiac Firebird – an American icon of sports design of the 90s; 1973 Mercedes-Benz W114 280SE – one of the most beloved models of the classic W114 series, known for its elegance and reliability; and 1981 Mercedes-Benz R107 380SL, famous for representing style, prestige and performance for years.

Through “Retro”, the General Directorate of Transport Services not only documents vehicles that have historical value, but also brings them back to the attention of the public and the collector community.

The “Retro” Commission continues to serve as a platform where there is promoted the automotive history, while the passion for classic vehicles is aroused in every session. /e.xh/r.e/p.s./

According to the Directorate, during the period January-June 2025, there were registered 47,459 vehicles, of which 81.5% were cars.

Regarding the origin of the registered vehicles, South Korea leads with 20.5%, followed by Italy with 16%, Germany with 15.5%, Switzerland with 8.8%, the USA with 7.9% and China with 7.8%.

The report also shows that the fleet has been renewed with 8862 latest generation vehicles (0-3 years), marking a 68% increase in registrations compared to January-June 2023. /a.f//r.e/p.s./

General Directorate of Road Transport Services reported that in the first 3 months of the current year, January-March 2025 there were registered 980 fully electric vehicles or 55% more compared to January-March 2024.

Thanks to fiscal incentives, green vehicles continue to convincingly increase their dominance in road traffic in Albania.

According to the Directorate, 33% of electric vehicles are with 0 Km registered and 72.1% of vehicles registered during January-March 2025 are Euro 5 and above. /r.e//a.f/p.s./

The indicators show that the vehicle fleet in our country has a great age, where about 49.5% of vehicles are between 11 and 20 years old and 42.1% are over 20 years old.

Likewise, there is a concentration of vehicles in the capital, while other cities, according to statistics, have increased their fleets.

Referring to the indicators, Albanians continue to remain loyal customers to German car brands.

“Mercedes Benz” is the leading brand with the highest turnover with 18%, followed by “Volkswagen” with 15.8% and “Daimler Chrysler” with 8.8%. /a.f/p.s./

Mayor of Shkodra Benet Beci shared in the social media a film material from the most recent activity carried out in the city, where yesterday there were gathered retro car enthusiasts of the European “Rally Vintage” tour.

The group started from Salzburg, Austria, with the final destination Athens.

“I had the pleasure of welcoming the group to our city which has become a destination for foreign tourists,” Mayor Beci wrote in the social media.

Yesterday afternoon, 25 retro cars of different brands stopped in Shkodra.

The citizens of Shkodra, as well as visitors who happened to be there, were able to visit this exhibition of historical vehicles, stationed near the town hall square.

The 2-week journey of these vehicles starts from the Austrian Alps and ends in Athens, on the edge of the Aegean, crossing roads with asphalt, but also paved with gravel, with a variety of tests and rules, in an adventure that takes the participants through the lesser-known areas of the Balkans. /p.s./

The General Directorate of the Road Transport Service reported that several new vehicles have been submitted for close inspection to see if they meet the conditions of receiving the status as a historic vehicle.

Thus, there are presented an Italian Lancia Appia 1967, a German Opel Kadett 1967, American Chevrolet Corvette C3 of 1976 and a German Mercedes Benz 500SEL W126 of 1987.

These retro cars can be listed as antique cars or classic cars.

According to Directorate, the National Register of Historic Cars is an asset of special value, where various collectors present themselves to the commission to obtain the status of historic car. /p.s./