During a press conference, minister assured that the commitment to the fight against informality aims not only to guarantee fair competition, but also to protect Albanian consumers.

“This is the second year of implementing the medium-term revenue strategy, which will extend until 2027. The strategy has already been agreed with the IMF, but also with the EU. And it aims not only to increase revenues, but also to better fiscal administration, of course without changing tax rates during the period that this strategy will extend”, said Malaj.

According to Minister Malaj, this strategy explicitly aims to formalize key economic sectors that result in high risk, such as the tourism sector or the construction sector.

Speaking about the medium-term revenue strategy, Malaj stated that last year the results were extremely positive in the fight against informality in the tourism sector.

According to him, this confirms once again the potential that this sector has as one of the main engines of the country’s economic development.

“More specifically, the average number of employees for the period January-September 2025 increased by 5% compared to the same period last year. Also, the wage fund in this sector increased by 18%, reaching around 162 million euros,” Malaj said.

Meanwhile, Malaj emphasized that social insurance contributions have also had the same upward trend, at 18%, reaching around 46 million euros.

“In the tourism sector, there is also recorded an increase in VAT collection of 22%, reaching around 40 million euros for the period of 2025 compared to 2024,” added Malaj. /m.m/j.p/p.s./

Zak Topuzi, head of the Association of Tour Operators, told Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) on Sunday the move was a positive step that would support economic formalisation and improve services for tourists, but warned that high bank commission fees remain a major obstacle.

Prime Minister Edi Rama’s plan to reduce reliance on cash payments is ambitious and necessary, Topuzi said, adding that tourism and services would be among the main sectors affected.

According to him, tourism and transport account for about 43.6% of Albania’s total exports, making the sector strategically important to the economy, he said. However, Topuzi noted that electronic payments have been slow to take hold due to structural challenges.

“The main issue is the very high level of card transaction fees charged by commercial banks,” Topuzi said. While commissions in the European Union range between 0.3% and 0.6%, fees in Albania range from 1.8% to as much as 5%, he said.

For small service businesses operating on profit margins of 7% to 10%, such fees significantly erode earnings, Topuzi said, adding that banks can effectively take up to 30%–40% of business revenue in some cases.

He also said transaction costs are borne entirely by businesses rather than customers, making small-value payments impractical. “It is not reasonable to pay additional fees for a small transaction such as a cup of coffee,” he said.

Topuzi described the shift to electronic payments as a “systemic transformation” that goes beyond installing point-of-sale terminals, calling for regulatory intervention by the Bank of Albania to cap commission fees, as has been done in several European countries, including Greece and Switzerland.

Another unresolved issue, he said, is the inability to leave tips via bank cards. With around 12 million foreign tourists visiting Albania annually, the current system disadvantages service workers, as tips cannot be processed electronically.

Topuzi said the association has held talks with institutions and banks to address the issue, noting that electronic tipping systems are widely used across Europe and operate transparently through banking and tax channels.

He also stressed the need for information campaigns, training for businesses – particularly small operators – and investment in technical infrastructure, warning that full implementation within six months would be difficult without concrete support and lower bank fees.

Electronic payments would also help formalise Albania’s accommodation sector, where around 70% of capacity consists of apartments and villas operating as B&Bs, while hotels account for just 22%, Topuzi concluded.

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Speaking at a meeting with entrepreneurs on the 2026 Fiscal Package, Rama said many companies underreport salaries, noting, “We all know no worker earns 50,000 lek in construction – not in Tirana, not anywhere. No one would work for such a wage.”

He added that while the Constitutional Court previously limited the government’s ability to set wage ceilings, firms should at least report actual pay. “Pay your employees properly and declare the real salaries,” he said.

Rama described construction as one of Albania’s most profitable sectors and one where labor exploitation is most prevalent.

“Now you realize you cannot underpay workers because you won’t find staff. Ensure projects are completed and pay workers fairly – 1,000 or 1,500 euros,” he said.

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During his speech, Berisha said that, “The DP considers tourism as one of the greatest economic and cultural potentials of the country”.

Berisha added that, “Tourism in Albania has unlimited potential in terms of natural resources and there is no question that this sector has known undeniable developments”.

Berisha also focused on the figures. “In 2005, Albania received a total of 320 thousand tourists and visitors taken together, in 2013 this figure was 4.7 million.”

“Today, this figure is 10-11 million. But, one should distinguish visitors from tourists. Tirana airport has become favorite a airport for a part of northern Greece, for Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia. Of course, this is a positive development, in this context”, Berisha said.

According to Berisha, tourism has a very major problem: informality.

“The major problem is the informality in which this sector is developing. This informality hits honest entrepreneurs. It hits entrepreneurs with transparent investments. Montenegro has 2.8 million tourists per year, but registers 16.8 million overnight stays. While Albania with 10 million tourists per year, registers 6 million overnight stays. So, we have an extraordinary level of informality,” said Berisha.

Berisha emphasized that, “The formalization of tourism is perhaps one of the most fundamental conditions.” /r.e//a.f/p.s./

The bill endorsed by the Parliamentary Committee included the draft law on changes to the law no. 8378, dated 22.07.1998 ” Traffic Code of the Republic of Albania”, amended” (initiative forwarded by the Socialist Party lawmaker Taulant Balla), draft law on additions and changes to the law no. 8378, dated 22.07.1998 “Traffic Code of the Republic of Albania” amended, proposed by a group of Democratic Party lawmakers).

The Committee also adopted the draft law on some additions and changes to the law no. 48/ 2014 “On delayed payments in contractual and commercial obligations” amended, initiative by Socialist MP Erion Braçe.

Braçe said that the proposed changes are designed to address the delayed payments issue. He added that the amendments are also devised to further formalize the country’s agriculture sector.

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