Currently, he stressed, around 10,400 files must be handled, with the main beneficiaries being the second and third generations.

“From the total fund of 1.4 billion lekë, only 42%, or 600 million lekë, have been paid. The progress of this item is slow due to the lack of accurate documentation for many files,” Malaj said during discussions of the 2025 budget amendments presented in the Normative Act in the Laws Committee.

To speed up the process, Malaj said that the Ministry of Finance in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice will propose a legal amendment, which will increase the maximum payment limit for a file during a budget year from 1 million lekë to 3 million lekë.

“This amendment aims to speed up the handling of files and facilitate the compensation of beneficiaries,” he stated.

Malaj said that the Ministry of Finance continues to handle all files in accordance with the law and the allocated funds, while the publication of new installments will continue according to the established calendar.

“We published the 4th installment and now the fifth installment has also been released, which will also continue to be paid,” Malaj said.

On the other hand, Head of the Laws Committee Ulsi Manja emphasized the need to address a special category of files, around 3,500 of them, that were submitted beyond the deadline, but meet the compensation criteria. /j.p/p.s./

Speaking about the annual activity report of the Institute for the Study of Crimes and Consequences of Communism in Albania for 2023, Manja said that, “At present, 32 years after the fall of the communist regime, we still point at each other in this hall, you and us. While, as a matter of fact, for what happened for 45 years in Albania, this hall is the most indebted to all that strata of the population who paid the price of freedom with their lives and their personal and family suffering”.

“It was a national tragedy, part of our history and it is the duty of this society to do justice to the victims of communism,” said Manja.

Speaking about compensation to the former persecuted, Manja said that, “There have been 21,900 requests for compensation. A total of 13,500 files have been approved for compensation. Another 8,500 have remained untreated because of the failure to meet the criteria. While 3036 of these files meet all the criteria for compensation, but were submitted beyond the deadline, according to the law that is in force today.”

“The former main convicts, those who suffered the prisons of the communist regime, have been fully compensated since 2013 when we came in power. As for their first heirs, under our government, the 4th installment of their financial compensation is being completely liquidated”, said Manja.

Minister Manja also addressed the Democratic Party MPs that, “In the years 1993-2002, you have been in government the most, but the class of former political persecuted got just 2 billion lekë compensation. During 2003-2012, it was again you, the party that is the natural stronghold of this stratum that gave you the vote, but you compensated them with just 7.3 billion lekë”.

While, added Manja, “When we came in power in 2013, although of course they are not our voters, but as a debt and reflection of this political force, of this parliament and of that vision and program that we had in 2013 also for the compensation of the politically persecuted strata, we have paid them 18.3 billion lekë or 180 million Euros until today, i.e. during the period 2013-2024, not as mercy, but as compensation for their suffering, sacrifices and work”.

Manja emphasized that, “In total, we have paid them 280 million Euros in compensation”.

But, Manja added, “This strata still remains to be compensated, I’m talking about the heirs and their family members, 28.560 billion lekë or a value of 285 million Euros”./r.e/p.s./