Off the wire
• Fears rise over TPP access among New Zealand dairy leaders  • Former Inner Mongolia police chief expelled from CPC  • France, Malaysia have primary responsibility to identify aircraft debris: Aussie Deputy PM  • Tokyo shares end slightly higher in morning on firm domestic earnings  • Kiwi frontline police officers to be armed with Tasers on duty  • Nicaraguan police chief sentenced to 11 years after family massacre  • Spotlight: Reunion debris provides fresh evidence of MH370 being crashed off Australia  • New Zealand condemns Israeli home plans in contested territories  • Indian stocks open higher  • Almaty delivers 2022 Winter Games presentation to IOC members (updated)  
You are here: 　 Home

News Analysis: Albania's economy in positive trend: PM

Xinhua, July 31, 2015 Adjust font size:

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama Thursday announced a continuous positive and developing trend in Albania's economy in 2015, attributing the economic growth to the government's policies and strategies.

"The economy has followed a positive trend, standing in line with forecasts of the program compiled with the IMF and the World Bank," said Rama, stressing that the government's debts payment to contractors has consolidated this positive trend.

"The year 2014 was closed with a 2.12 percent growth. It is encouraging that the first three-month period of 2015 marked the continuation of a growth trend and closed with a satisfactory figure of 2.82 percent versus the first three months of 2014," Rama said.

Rama affirmed the importance of the government's debts payment which impacted the growth through a transparent process with zero complaints of corruption, bringing about other positive effects as it settled enterprises tax arrears and loans, according to the Albanian Daily News.

The debt has been maintained at a sustainable level of 69.9 percent while the government recognized and repaid to contractors.

On the other hand, a sustainable state external debt contributed to the increase of deposits in commercial banks, as well as in consumption and exports, according to Rama.

"Thanks to the strategy of public finance management, we paved the way for a continuous improvement of the quality of the use of public funds," said Rama, adding that most of imports are machineries and equipment confirming the investments of enterprises.

In terms of employment, the labor force survey shows that Albania's number of employees in 2015 is 10 percent higher than in first half of 2014, yet the problem of unemployment still remains to be settled.

In addition, environmental protection and operation against informality were also emphasized.

"In September, we will launch another major operation against irregularities, similar to the one applied to the sector of energy, territory, and closure of universities," Rama said.

"Parliament will approve the package of penal measures against smuggling, illegal employment, tax evasion...Subject to this operation will be customs, taxation offices, labor inspectorate and obviously State Police," added the prime minister. Endi