ASH calls for protection of depositors: Citizens’ savings must not be put at risk

Recent developments surrounding Alta Bank in Bitola have prompted a response from the Alliance for Albanians. The party is calling for immediate intervention to protect depositors and provide a solution for citizens who urgently need access to their money.

According to ASH, the National Bank must clarify how the bank’s takeover was approved, what checks were carried out and when the restrictions are expected to be lifted.

The party describes as unacceptable the restriction allowing a pensioner or a family to withdraw only 10,000 denars a week, when these funds may be needed for medical treatment or other urgent needs. It stresses that citizens are once again facing concerns over the safety of their savings.

For the Alliance for Albanians, this situation recalls bitter experiences from the past. The TAT savings house scandal in 1997 and the collapse of Eurostandard Bank in 2020 remain unforgettable for citizens, according to the party, because in both cases the consequences fell on people who had worked and saved for years.

ASH notes that the Alta Bank case is not the same as the previous cases. Nevertheless, it stresses that the experiences with TAT and Eurostandard Bank should have served as a lesson to ensure that citizens do not bear the burden of misguided financial decisions.