Fiscal package/ Berisha: Support for oligarchs, Rama drafted it in secret and cynically mocks the fuel tax

At a press conference, Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha said that “the student movement is against corruption and against protecting Lubi Balluku’s corruption.”

The opposition leader also addressed the new fiscal package, saying it spells misery for Albanian citizens and offers support to oligarchs.

Berisha claimed that Prime Minister Edi Rama drafted the package in secret, without even informing the ministers in his cabinet.

According to Berisha, the changes envisage tax increases totaling around €200 million, particularly affecting small businesses, liberal professions, the middle class and families facing economic hardship.

I am here today to denounce the new fiscal package as a package of misery for citizens and support for oligarchs and billionaires.

“It is said that Edi Rama, in complete secrecy even from his own ministers, presented a package two days ago that raises taxes by around €200 million in total. It hits small businesses, liberal professions, the middle class—which plays a decisive role in providing services to citizens—and poor families particularly hard.

In his notorious package, he raises the standard VAT rate to 21%, thereby causing an overall increase in prices and undermining the competitiveness of Albanian businesses.

With his package, he announced that he would cut VAT on 50 basic goods. At first glance, this is meant to lower prices. It will have zero effect; it is total hypocrisy. At the same time, he is lowering the VAT threshold for all the shops that sell these goods and bringing them into the VAT system. In other words, shops generally have a turnover of less than 10 million. Now he is lowering the threshold to 5 million. These shops, which sell goods that are being exempted from VAT, are now being brought into the VAT system. They have two options: go bankrupt or raise prices.

He cynically mocks the fuel tax. For citizens without cars, fuel affects the price of a city bus ticket. And to those who have cars, he says he will take the tax off fuel, but charge it on their cars,” Berisha said.