Minister Mete and the head of the IMF Mission talked about the progress of the economy and the main macroeconomic indicators, assessing that the macro-fiscal situation in the country is stable and the expectations for further economic growth are positive.

In particular, Mete mentioned the latest economic developments in Albania, where economic growth in the first quarter of 2023 was estimated at 3.63%, while the inflation level reached 2.1% in June, with a significant decrease compared to a year ago when it was at the level of 4.5%.

The minister emphasized the fact that, after a long period, the public debt dropped below 60% of GDP to 58.9% at the end of 2023 and it is projected to continue the downward trajectory for the following period as well.
As for the revenues in the state budget, the minister estimated that the level of revenue collection has continued to be positive, where for the 5-month period of 2024 they reached about ALL 287.1 billion, 11.2% more than 5- month of 2023, while at the end of the year they are expected to reach 28.8% of GDP for the first time.
Mete pointed out that the new Public Finance Management Strategy until 2030 has already been approved. It puts the emphasis on increasing transparency and better control of public spending.
Minister Mete and the IMF Head of Mission also discussed the revision of the Medium-Term Revenue Collection Strategy with a focus on enhancing fiscal administration.
Mete said that the draft is in the pipeline and will soon be published for public consultation.
For her part, the Head of the IMF Mission appreciated the work done by the Ministry of Finance in relation to guaranteeing the sustainability of public finances and the continuation of fiscal consolidation.
/sm/