Addressing the Socialist Party’s National Assembly in the city of Durres, where he laid out his party’s agenda and responded to recent controversies, PM Rama announced upcoming measures to improve the social security system, including stricter enforcement to prevent tax evasion and ensure fair pension distribution.

On the topic of pension reforms, Rama defended his party’s track record, highlighting their achievements in improving the lives of pensioners.

“Pensions are the most challenging part of the economic transformation we are delivering on. Retired people, better than anyone else, know how to value how work for Albania and that’s why they have kept constantly voting for us in all our electoral battles,” PM Rama said.

The government head announced that a national plan on social contributions aimed at including retired people in a fairer pension distribution scheme will be revealed next month.

“The plan, on which a group of institutions and experts are working for months now, is designed to include pensioners in the distribution of the revenue from the country’s economic growth, so that we can go beyond the current level of the year-end pension bonus or the annual pension indexation level,” he said.

He took aim at critics who promised better outcomes, arguing that the SP had delivered meaningful results.

Rama warned of tougher measures to combat informality in economy, saying that anyone seeking to avoid and failing to comply with social security contribution payments may face criminal charges and imprisonment.

“For us to meet the social insurance contribution quota, just like we did with the electricity bills, we will apply the same measures we applied for electricity theft if anyone fails to pay the social contributions to their workers,” PM Rama said.

The Premier noted that Albania has the lowest tax and social and health contribution rates in the region.

“In no other country in the Western Balkans, let alone in Europe, small businesses pay zero income and VAT rate. In no other country in the region the VAT on tourism stands at 6%,” he said, adding that it is time to take the fight against informal economy to a new height.

/u.sh/