In a statement on social media, Ambassador Moreira de Sousa highlighted the institution’s importance in managing European Union funds and preparing the country for the financial obligations associated with membership.

“The Ministry of Finance is key to EU accession as it manages EU funds and prepares the country for the financial obligations of membership”, the ambassador wrote.

She noted that during the meeting with Minister Malaj, she reaffirmed the European Union’s support for Albania’s efforts in these areas.

“Yesterday, I met with Minister Petrit Malaj and reaffirmed that the EU will continue to support this work,” EU Ambassador Sofia Moreira de Sousa wrote. /p.s./

Inspector General Dashnor Sula and Director of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) Ervin Koçi signed the agreement for their respective agencies.

The General Inspectorate and the Financial Intelligence Agency will share data and train staff to stop illegal money activities. The Inspectorate will report suspicious signs quickly, replying to normal requests in 10 days and urgent ones in 3 days.

This agreement strengthens cooperation between institutions and improves state efforts against money laundering and terrorist funding. Both agencies remain committed to sharing information, building skills and making financial activities in Albania safer and more transparent.

/gj.m/j.p/p.s./

“Our motto that the money will be returned to the Albanians is growing stronger”, said Berisha.

According to him, “The living wage of 200 euros, the increase in pensions by 20 percent, the increase in the minimum wage by 20 percent, the increase in the average wage to 1200 euros, the consumer card for pensioners and low-wage earners, have had a very positive impact”, continued the former prime minister.

Berisha promised that there will be no more Albanians getting a quarter pension.

“With the consumer card, the Albanians will receive 450 euros and when prices increase, it will go even higher. Energy price will go down to 7 lekë. Oil will go down to the level of prices that Kosovo has”, said Berisha.

“We call this the compassion package. As a matter of fact, this is nothing more than returning money to Albanians because the tax money is taken from them and we will return it to them.”

Further on, Berisha added that, “This is our concern, this is our commitment. That is why you saw that passionate meeting at the sports palace in Shkodra. We will return the money to the citizens”./a.f/p.s./

Central bank said in a release on Friday that the average daily injection through liquidity injection operations with a maturity of 1-13 weeks fell to 22.70 billion lek from 47.70 billion lek and 54.20 billion lek in the previous quarters.

In the first quarter of 2024, central bank has sought to enhance the portfolio through securities purchase auctions. The value of the Bank’s treasury bills is 70.00 billion lek, close to the maximum target.

The Bank of Albania has held three currency purchase auctions in a bid to increase the foreign currency reserve,

During first quarter of this year, the Bank of Albania purchased EUR 32.60 million.

/r.e/u.sh/

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with donors in Tirana, Balla emphasized that for the establishment of this office, the experts have referred to the best models of the European Union countries.

“We have set it as one of our important objectives within the path of Albania’s membership in the EU. Technically, it is something that the structure of the State Police lacked it while in the fight against organized crime. The principle: follow the money has been successful in the fight against all forms of crime, especially organized crime. Even from the results, so far, we understand that efficient investigative work is needed to identify, find and confiscate assets or bank accounts or everything else that crime has benefited from or created due to criminal activities”, said the minister.

Our partners, he said, the EU and the USA, but also other partners have supported him. We are waiting for the final reading of the draft from the European Commission and then pass it to the government and Parliament.

“We hope to have the support of the opposition in this effort to intensify our fight against organized crime,” said Balla./p.s./

Dumani answered the questions of the MPs, members of the Committee, on various issues, including those related to the typology and appearance of organized crime.

He said that the investigations conducted during 2023 show that Albanian criminal groups are involved in the international market of trafficking of hard drugs by having and controlling the traffic of the closed cycle and having a dominant position in the countries of origin, including those in Latin America.

“Some of the features are the membership of 20-25 people, poly-criminal activity, violence for territory control, the involvement of women in secondary positions, sophisticated murders for pay, coded communications and the conversion of money into crypto-currencies”, Dumani said.

He considered the sophisticated activity of criminal groups that operate through call-centers to be a concern.

Also, Dumani stated today that, “Criminal markets in Albania present a worrying situation with active groups in cities such as Tirana, Durrës, Vlorë, Gjirokastër, Fieri, Shkodra, Elbasani, Kurbini and Fushë-Kruja”.

“In Tirana and the coastal cities, the groups deal mainly with money laundering, while drug trafficking has become problematic in Durrës, Vlorë, Gjirokastër, Fier and Kurbin. Corruption of justice officials is evident in Durrës, Shkodër, Laç and Fushë-Kruje. Murders and attempted murders are frequent in Durrës, Fushë-Krujë, Fier, Vlorë, Shkodër and Elbasan. In Fushë-Kruja, there is a trade in weapons, explosives and stolen cars which are then used in criminal events”, underlined the head of SPAK.

Dumani said that investments in movable and immovable properties remain the main way of money laundering in Albania, especially in apartments, buildings and service units in Tirana and tourist areas such as Vlora, Durres and Lezha.

“Also, a significant amount of money is suspected to be deposited in bank accounts in the names of commercial companies or relatives of the suspects. One of the complex money laundering schemes in Albania involves the use of Albanian banks and businesses as intermediaries for international criminal organizations, such as the Italian mafia. In one case, an Albanian business cooperated to give access to representatives of the international mafia to integrate criminal income in the banking sector for the stratification of transfers that would then be transferred with the help of the local business abroad”, stated Dumani.

The head of SPAK added that the very good cooperation with the second level banks and the FIU-Financial Supervision Agency made this operation of criminal groups fail./p.s./

Çela said that the prosecution office has focused on the fight against corruption, money laundering and financial investigation.

Focusing on corruption issues, Çela said that the prosecution office has cooperated with SPAK.

“Thus, 32 cases related to corruption have been sent to SPAK by the prosecution offices of the general jurisdiction”, stated the Chief Prosecutor.

Çela said that a good job has also been done in the money laundering investigation sector, adding that as a result of the work of the prosecution office that he leads, Albania took off the money laundering grey list in October last year.

“It turns out that in 2023, there were registered 156 new proceedings in terms of money laundering, 16 people were sent for trial and 22 convicted for money laundering” – added the chief prosecutor, who also gave 2 examples regarding the financial investigation”, he stated.

Regarding the financial investigation, Çela said that, “I can mention 2 cases as an example; in one case we have realized seizure of bank accounts of 15 companies in a value of 5.8 million Euros, while in the second case we have managed to seize bank accounts of 1.3 million Euros”./p.s./

The campaign aims to inform travelers about the rules for money transfer inside and outside the country.

Travelers must declare amounts above 10,000 Euros to the customs authorities, at the time of entry or exit from Albania, to avoid the risk of violating legal obligations in the fight against illegal transfer and money laundering.

The set limit is part of Albania’s efforts to secure state borders, within the framework of EU membership process.

The campaign is being carried out through informative posters placed at all border points, as well as materials on social media.

Director of the Border and Migration Department in the State Police Saimir Boshnjaku emphasized that the Albanian Police remains committed to cooperate with all Albanian law enforcement agencies and international partners to strengthen the fight against money laundering and border security./m.m/p.s./

For years, the Ministry of Education and the Bank of Albania have a close cooperation for the organization of the “Global Money Week”.

Minister Kushi conveyed the message to students on focusing on work and earning money honestly.

“When you work honestly, the earnings may be lower, but they are safer and more stable, so students are educated to work and earn honestly. There are individuals or companies who, eager to have big and quick profits, find dishonest ways. So, my message to young people is to work and earn honestly because when working honestly the profits can be lower, but they are safer and more stable”, emphasized Kushi.

Kushi said further that, “Albania has gone through various crises such as the earthquake, the pandemic and recently the inflation of the war in Ukraine, which make financial education and knowledge very important. Money and budget management is necessary not only for entrepreneurs, self-employed, professionals and institutions, but for the whole society, families and individuals”.

“The curricula of pre-university education carries financial education as a separate subject. In addition, there are many different projects and programs where students apply this knowledge in practice, being supported by teachers, parents, institutions and the whole community to put this knowledge into practice”, said Kushi. /k.s/p.s./

Speaking about the difficult situation that has been created due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, Rama said that, “We are facing a political alliance which is at the service of Russian money”.

“When we said some time ago that the DP was funded by Russian money to topple our government in the last election, many people started laughing, while others who you unfortunately follow in the clubs and TV, together with those who received this money, said that this is a trick of Edi Rama and Soros. But, there is the CIA report that confirms that the DP was financed by Russian money to overthrow our government and win the elections,” he said.

Following this, Rama said that the “ruble alliance” aims to change the rules of democracy, to take power not with votes, but with violence.

“Why should Russia finance the DP? It is the same ruble alliance, which aims to reach where it intended before, the creation of a social conflict so that to change of power not by vote, but by violence, to change the rules and to govern”, said Rama.

“And there is also the story of the stab behind the back of the KLA and Kosovo. How is it explained that the DP representatives in the government joined the Russian delegation in the Council of Europe and voted together on a resolution accusing Albania as the place where the KLA removed human organs and trafficked them to make money? How is this explained? When the whole world knows well where the evil comes from, that comes directly from the Kremlin, the opposition in Albania tells the Albanians every hour and minute that the evil does not come from the Kremlin, but from Edvin (Rama)”, said Rama./r.e/p.s./