According to him, Albanians should not vote for the Democratic Party based on what it has done in the past, but rather for the commitments it makes regarding the future.

Berisha outlined a series of social and economic promises, including doubling salaries and pensions, establishing a minimum income and providing full reimbursement for all medicines.

Berisha stated that the Democratic Party is proudly a low-tax party. “We believe your money belongs in your pocket, not the state treasury. That is the true essence of economic freedom,” he said. /m.q/a.f/r.e/p.s./

During his “FLASIM” (Let’s Talk) podcast, Rama said that wage indexation is a mechanism that was previously missing, hindered by structural economic limitations rather than lack of will.

According to the prime minister, driven by new economic growth, public sector wages will now be indexed every two years to protect purchasing power implementing targeted, category-specific mechanisms to inflation-adjust the wages of essential public sector workers, including teachers, healthcare staff, police, and administration.

“By fostering sustainable economic growth, this policy enables tangible improvements in the household income of working families who build our economy through honest work”, said Rama. /r.e/p.s./

During the meeting of the SP Assembly in the municipal unit No 7 in the capital, Rama stated that this is evidenced by the recent increases in public sector salaries.

“Thanks to economic improvements, we are finally rewarding the seniority of our doctors, nurses, military, and teachers, fulfilling a goal we have long aimed to achieve”, said Rama.

The prime minister emphasized that thanks to the increased prosperity, we are moving ahead.

Further on, he pointed to the paradox between the claims by certain portals of increased corruption and increase of the state revenues; or the paradox between claims of increased corruption with procurements and the increase of savings from procurements.

The prime minister also highlighted the fact that thanks to this economic growth, the pensions are also increasing.

“Pensions are in their first year of growth. This has happened because opportunities have increased and the economy has grown and we have managed to collect more revenue without increasing taxes,” said Rama. /j.p/r.e/p.s./

Speaking on his Let’s Talk podcast on Sunday, Rama said the 2026 budget envisages a nearly 12% increase in defence spending compared with the previous year, in line with Albania’s commitments as a NATO member.

He noted that salary increases for military personnel, effective from January, were approved earlier this year, while the government has also decided to cover transport costs for all active service members.

Rama said the goal is to bring the pay of base-level soldiers closer to the average across NATO countries by the end of the current mandate.

“By the end of this mandate, all military personnel, from the lowest ranked soldier to the highest ranked general, will see their salary increase up to 70%,” he said.

/r.e/u.sh/

The inspections will be carried out mainly in businesses assessed at risk for under declaration of wages, which have been previously notified by the Tax Administration, but have not reflected changes in the payroll, despite the electronic notification sent to their accounts in the tax system, e-Filing.

The focus of the inspections will be the verification of wages declared in the payroll, by comparing them with the indicative salaries by the respective professions, a list transmitted to the electronic accounts of taxpayers, as well as published on the official website of the Tax Administration.

The Tax Administration warned that any taxpayer who declares salaries below the indicative salary level, or who changes the profession of employees in order to avoid the real declaration of salaries, thereby jeopardizing the payment of social contributions and pensions, will be considered at risk and as such will be subject to control by specialized structures of the Tax Administration.

The Tax Administration also called on all taxpayers to take the necessary legal measures for the accurate declaration of employees’ salaries, in order to avoid administrative and legal measures. /j.p/p.s./

Speaking at a meeting with entrepreneurs on the 2026 Fiscal Package, Rama said many companies underreport salaries, noting, “We all know no worker earns 50,000 lek in construction – not in Tirana, not anywhere. No one would work for such a wage.”

He added that while the Constitutional Court previously limited the government’s ability to set wage ceilings, firms should at least report actual pay. “Pay your employees properly and declare the real salaries,” he said.

Rama described construction as one of Albania’s most profitable sectors and one where labor exploitation is most prevalent.

“Now you realize you cannot underpay workers because you won’t find staff. Ensure projects are completed and pay workers fairly – 1,000 or 1,500 euros,” he said.

/a.f/u.sh/

Thus, the average wage for an employee as a craftsman, artisan and related profession reached 62,200 lekë in the third quarter of the current year from 55,300 in the same period of 2024.

This development is mainly related to the lack of labor force in these professions, which for years have suffered a decline in interest and a reduction in the number of employees.

According to INSTAT data, the labor market is reacting to this gap by increasing the payment for jobs that are increasingly difficult to fill with workers.

Affected by emigration, the aging of the workforce and the orientation of young people towards other professions, there is a shortage of artisans, which is directly reflected in the increase in wages.

In this context, the increase in wages in these professions is seen as a market response to the need to maintain the functioning of key sectors such as construction, services and manufacturing, rather than as a change in the overall wage structure in the economy.

In parallel, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation is implementing several programs aimed at strengthening vocational training and increasing skills in the labor market. These programs focus on improving vocational education, supporting training oriented towards market needs and promoting cooperation between educational institutions and businesses.

Through employment promotion schemes, vocational training programs and investments in vocational training centers, it is intended that young people and adults are equipped with practical skills, restoring interest in crafts and technical professions. The aim of these interventions is to alleviate the labor shortage in these areas and create a more stable basis for labor market development in the coming years.

During the third quarter of 2025, the average gross monthly salary for a skilled worker reached 83,300 lekë, an increase of 7.3% compared to the same period in 2024. /j.p/p.s./

During presentation of the draft budget, Rama said that any increase that will be made in the family budget is only as a result of economic growth.

“The contribution rates that Albania applies are lower than the countries in the region, but we will not make any increase in contributions at this stage. So, everyone should be aware that what we will increase in the family budget for pensioners, for administration and employees in the public sector following up the increase in the minimum wage is only a result of economic growth”, said Rama.

Regarding security, justice and public order, Rama said that, “We should honor the obligation as a NATO-member country and the obligation for independent justice, the independence of which is guaranteed only by the Socialist Party of Albania”.

“Therefore, in the budget that we will approve, there is envisaged a significant increase in support for both defense and justice”, Rama said.

Among other things, Rama stressed that, “In regard to the big business, different from what is said and spread as propaganda, we are a country that abides by the principle according to which the more you earn, the more tax you pay. And on the other hand, we tax less those who earn less even compared to all the countries in the region. I mean, the small business”.

In conclusion, Rama also highlighted the new compensation scheme for farmers who are not subject to VAT.

“With this VAT compensation scheme, I believe that we will give a boost to the agricultural sector, directly supporting the farmers. And the reimbursement rate that we have set is the most competitive in the region; and it is set above the 5-8% levels of other countries, being at the 10% level,” said Rama. /m.q/a.f/p.s./

The data, based on payroll records from tax and social insurance systems, covers all sectors of the economy and both domestic and foreign workers.

According to the report, 22.4% of employees earn up to the official minimum wage, which stands at 40,000 lek for 2024.

The labor market also showed signs of improvement. Employment increased by 1.5 percentage points, while the unemployment rate for ages 15 – 74 fell to 8.7%, down 0.9 points from 2023.

Among the working-age population (15 – 64), 68.6% are employed, 9.4% are unemployed, and 24.3% are outside the labor force.

The report highlights ongoing gender disparities: men’s employment rate is 74.9%, compared to 62.4% for women, while the gender pay gap narrowed to 4.9%, down from 6.1% in 2023.

Albania’s total labor force in 2024 was estimated at 1.29 million, with men accounting for 54.1% and women 45.9%.

The best paid groups were managers, lawmakers and senior officials, the armed forces and workers in information and communication. Lower pay was reported in agriculture, crafts and trades, transport and warehousing.

/a.f/u.sh/

Notable growth was recorded in office administration and support services (+14.3%), bars and restaurants (+11.9%), transport and storage (+11.6%), and real estate (+11.3%). Declines were observed in information and communication (-2.1%) and travel agencies (-7.4%).

Employment saw an increase, led by hotels (+8.8%), real estate (+6.6%), and travel agencies (+3.9%). Insurance and investigation sectors experienced a slight employment decline (-1.3%).

Wages showed significant growth in hotels and real estate (+26.2%), trade and vehicle repair (+22.1%), and transport and storage (+14.9%). Other sectors, including legal/accounting, information/communication, and architecture/engineering, also recorded moderate wage increases.

Five new economic activities—programming and distribution, real estate, legal/accounting, insurance/investigation, and office administration/support services—were incorporated into the statistics for the first time.

/u.sh/