Rama stated on Thursday evening that the missing revenues in tax collections due to the pandemic crisis are estimated at around 700 million dollars.

“When we took office, we found an official public debt of 74%, in 2019 the debt dropped to 64%. The earthquake and pandemic drove the debt up to 78%, or 4% more than the official debt back in 2013,” Prime Minister Rama said.

Berisha, despite borrowing, left the economic growth at 0.8%.

“We have turned to borrowing to cover emerging financial needs, but from 0.8 percent in 2013 economic growth has increased step by step. Even in the last quarter of the unprecedented year 2020 economic growth was 3%. For 100 lek of debt he invested 116 lek, while our government for 100 lek of debt invests 160, ” said Rama.

Rama said that the missing revenues in tax collections due to the pandemic are estimated at around 700 million dollars.

He added that international financial institutions have praised the government measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

“The World Bank report says that the measures taken by the government saved 50 thousand jobs,” Rama said.
Rama said that “the Durrës-Fier road is financed on average in over 60% of lots by us whereas Sali Berisha has not delivered anything.”

Rama said that “we have a sound public debt and in 2019 we drove it down to 64% from 74% carried over from our predecessors in office.”

Asked about PPPs, Rama said that “for me it is important that today Albanians, from maternal mothers to the elderly no longer have to grapple with 50 thousand post-operation infections due to various tools.”

“Albanians in need of the dialysis procedure can access this service at any center near their place of residence, while in the past they travelled to Tirana from different cities 3 times a week. PPP is a very simple mechanism, it is not debt at all, it is a contractual arrangement with an enterprise for providing a certain service,” said Rama.

Rama said that in Japan the public debt is 120%. We are still at sound debt level only 4% higher than public debt under Berisha-led government and added to that we have borrowed to stimulate economic growth.
Regarding reconstruction, Rama said that 2500 housing units have been built back and 4500 others are yet to be completed.
/sm/