After several days of discussions in the Parliamentary Committees, the state budget for the next year will be debated and approved in the plenary hall of the Assembly of Albania.
For the management of around 8 billion euros, a two-day marathon session will take place, where discussions in principle will start today (18 November) at 10:00 and the vote is expected to take place late on Tuesday.
This budget, which continues the upward trend from year to year, is the largest ever, will be used mainly for the continuation of reforms, and the financing of currently open construction sites.
No salary increases are foreseen and there is no predetermined fund for pension increases during 2025.
Overall, this budget is not characterized by increased funding for social protection or assistance to the needy. But the package guarantees the continuation of the current benefits for the poorest categories.
As for investments, the 2025 budget is dedicated more to projects that are under construction, such as the Tirana-Durrës Road, Elbasan-Qafë Thane, or Ndroq Plepa. The concessions that are active will be financed and the public debt will be covered.
The Assembly is expected to vote on the budget in principle at the end of Tuesday, during which the opposition has called a protest in front of the Parliament. Sali Berisha asked his supporters to prevent the approval of this act, which he calls the "theft budget". The opposition did not boycott him in the debates in the Commission, unlike a few years ago.