The bank aims to support economic growth and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, contributing to higher productivity, competitiveness and expansion into international markets.

It will operate under a two-tier governance structure, comprising an administrator and a Supervisory Board.

The Ministry of Finance will be the sole shareholder, holding 100% of the bank’s shares. The bank’s initial capital is set at 10 billion leks.

The Albanian Development Bank will provide financing to SMEs, domestic start-ups and projects supporting the country’s physical and digital infrastructure. It will also support exports of goods and services, as well as public projects at central and local government level.

The bank will offer short-, medium- and long-term loans to legal entities, co-finance projects with domestic and international financial institutions, issue financial and trade guarantees, purchase corporate bonds and invest in equity instruments.

It may also issue bonds in domestic and international financial markets and accept deposits from banks and other financial institutions. The bank will have access to the Bank of Albania’s monetary policy instruments and refinancing schemes.

The headquarters of the Albanian Development Bank will be located on “Martyrs of the Nation” Boulevard in Tirana.

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Speaking at a meeting with farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs in the central city of Elbasan, Rama said the bank would help finance Albanian entrepreneurship, including agricultural projects.

“Albania will finally have its Development Bank, which will serve as another tool to support business projects and your investments,” Rama said.

The government head also highlighted the role of the Agricultural University in Kamza, saying the knowhow gained by farmers over recent years was among the most important achievements in the sector and key to sustaining further transformation.

He said the university was undergoing what he described as an exemplary transformation aimed at strengthening knowhow and expertise capacity across the rural development spectrum, improving academic standards and expanding its role in supporting farmers and agribusinesses.

Rama said the government was seeking a new level of cooperation between farmers, academia and public institutions to ensure more effective use of funds allocated to agriculture, including investment and research financing.

While the state budget for agriculture has increased and will continue to grow, Rama said it remains modest compared with other potential funding sources, particularly those linked to Albania’s closer integration with the European Union.

He urged farmers to take advantage of financing opportunities emerging from the EU accession process, warning that competition in the EU’s single market would be significantly tougher.

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According to the decision approved at a regular cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Ministry of Finance will oversee 100% of the bank’s shares and manage all related procedures under the law governing the institution.

Created in cooperation with Italy’s Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, the bank aims to support development through financing projects that are typically underserved by commercial banks.

The Albanian Development Bank will raise funds through various instruments, including repayable public funds, and will have the ability to establish branches and subsidiaries both domestically and abroad.

Similar to the national promotional banks or institutions operating in the European Union, the main goal of the Albanian Development Bank is to promote the country’s  economic and social development by easing access to finance for underfunded sectors of the economy, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, including micro-enterprises and start-ups, as well as supporting development projects on improvement and modernization of physical and digital infrastructure, with a special focus on green economy investments.

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Taking the floor at a regular plenary session on Monday, Parliament Speaker Elisa Spiropali announced that the Council of Ministers has forwarded four draft laws to Parliament, while a bill has been forwarded by a group of lawmakers.

“The Council of Ministers has required to fast-track the procedures of the Albanian Development Bank bill,” Spiropali told lawmakers.

Albanian government has recently announced its plans to found the Albanian Development Bank, a project due to be implemented in collaboration with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, a leading financial institution in Italy, in order to bring a new development engine to Albania.

Similar to the national promotional banks or institutions operating in the European Union, the main goal of the Albanian Development Bank is to promote the country’s  economic and social development by easing access to finance for underfunded sectors of the economy, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, including micro-enterprises and start-ups, as well as supporting development projects on improvement and modernization of physical and digital infrastructure, with a special focus on green economy investments.

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Similar to the national promotional banks or institutions operating in the European Union, the main goal of the Albanian Development Bank is to promote the country’s  economic and social development by easing access to finance for underfunded sectors of the economy, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, including micro-enterprises and start-ups, as well as supporting development projects on improvement and modernization of physical and digital infrastructure, with a special focus on green economy investments.

In an interview with the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), economy expert Klodian Muço said that similar banks have been established in other countries and they have turned out to be successful ones.

Muço underlined that the Development Bank will mainly provide funding for new enterprises, priority projects on the country’s development and job generation projects.

“It is not the first time that the idea about establishment of a Development Bank is part of a broad discussion. Such banks have been already created in other countries and they have turned out to be successful, including the Development Bank in North Macedonia,” Muço said.

According to him, the Development Bank represents a great opportunity for new businesses and it will help growth of made in Albania products.

National promotional banks and financial institutions in the EU are legal entities that carry out financial, development, and promotional activities on a professional basis which are given a mandate by a Member State at central, regional or local level.

They channel our loans to businesses and local authorities in their home countries and collaborate with the European Investment Fund (EIF) in the implementation of its guarantee or equity mandates.

Some of these funding lines and instruments are also open to the Western Balkan countries and their range expands further with progress of the EU integration process.

The draft law on establishment of the Albanian Development Bank stipulates an initial capital of 10 billion lek and that the Albanian State will have to hold at least 51% of the shares.

The Development Bank will be exempt from profit tax, allowing it to focus resources on achieving its development objectives.

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“The Development Bank is a state-run pyramid scheme. In 2025, when the government has captured every link along the state chain, another absurd proposal has emerged; establishment of a State Development Bank,” Tabaku said in a post on the social media.

According to her, “in a country, where the banking sector is one of the most developed in the region, the government has decided to intervene in order to serve clientelist interests.”

However, the DP leader Sali Berisha has defended the project, saying that establishment of a State Development Bank had been a DP promise, claiming that the idea was stolen from his own party’s platform.

“Most recently, this government, shamelessly and without remorse, has copied a key promise from the Democratic Party’s 2012-2025 program,” Berisha said in a press statement, accusing Prime Minister Edi Rama of theft.

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The initiative on founding the Albanian Development Bank was announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama two days ago, saying that the Bank will be established in collaboration with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, a leading financial institution in Italy, adding that the project aims to bring a new development engine to Albania.

The draft law “On the Albanian Development Bank” aims to establish and define the rules for the organization and functioning of a development financial institution, similar to the national promotional banks or institutions operating in the European Union, with the main goal of promoting the country’s  economic and social development by easing access to finance for underfunded sectors of the economy, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, including microenterprises and start-ups, as well as supporting development projects on improvement and modernization of physical and digital infrastructure, with a special focus on green investments.

National promotional banks and financial institutions in the EU are legal entities that carry out financial, development, and promotional activities on a professional basis which are given a mandate by a Member State at central, regional or local level.

They channel our loans to businesses and local authorities in their home countries and collaborate with the European Investment Fund (EIF) in the implementation of its guarantee or equity mandates.

Some of these funding lines and instruments are also open to the Western Balkan countries and their range expands further with progress of the EU integration process.

The draft law stipulates that the Albanian State will have to hold at least 51% of the shares.

The Development Bank will be exempt from profit tax, allowing it to focus resources on achieving its development objectives.

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In a video message, the government head said that the Albanian Development Bank will be founded in collaboration with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, a leading financial institution in Italy, adding that the project aims to bring a new development engine to Albania.

“We have just concluded a meeting on establishment of the Albanian Development Bank, thanks to the cooperation with Italy’s leading financial institution Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. We are ready to introduce this new development engine to the new stage of development of the country,” PM Rama said.

According to the Premier, the project is absolutely convincing and it will soon be forwarded and be open for public consultation.

Rama underlined that the Bank will be run by a joint Albanian-Italian team and will be assisted by partners in Cassa Depositi e Prestiti to ensure independent and professional management.

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