Denada Jushi
For days now, the 2026 draft budget has been under discussion in parliament, but also outside it.
Considered the largest budget draft in the history of Albania and one that will cost us dearly, it does not promise more Services, because the biggest guzzlers of public money continue to be the administration, namely their salaries, as well as infrastructure.
Public spending for next year is planned at around $8.9 billion, increasing the budget by 6.7%.
Albania is considered one of the countries with the highest number of administrations in relation to population and geography, so the most money goes to state officials.
Personnel expenses for 2026 reflect this trend: expenses for central-level administration salaries for 87,112 employees are planned at 140.1 billion lekë, also taking into account the promise to increase the minimum wage.
Another "hole" that absorbs the budget is infrastructure investments. The Ministry of Infrastructure is increasing spending on infrastructure and energy, predicting to bring it to 78.3 billion lek, an increase of 3.1 billion lek compared to the 2025 budget.
Investments will focus on improving roads, rail transport, and water and sewerage infrastructure, supporting the objective of modernizing the national transport network and increasing the quality of public Services.
Paradoxically, with what Prime Minister Rama promised in 2013, "Albania is left to the roads, these people must pave the way," anathematizing the DP's campaign at the time that had directed all investments into infrastructure, today, four terms later, the government's main projects are related precisely to infrastructure.
Specifically, the maintenance of 3,522 kilometers of roads is foreseen, the financing of the Elbasan-Lekaj axis, as well as the expansion of segments such as the Tirana-Durrës highway and the Berat-Ballaban road segment.
Funding is also foreseen for the expansion of the Ksamil road, the construction of the Saranda bypass, the construction of the Kashar–Vaqarr Interchange road and the reconstruction of the old Kombinat–Ndroq–Plepa road, as well as the expansion of the Elbasan–Qafë Thanë road.
Funds are also expected to go towards the railway sector, where the rehabilitation of the Durrës-Tirana line and the construction of the new Tirana-Rinas line will continue.
Also, interventions are planned on the existing Vorë–Hani i Hotit and Durrës–Rrogozhinë lines.
The increase in pensions is expected to deepen the deficit in the insurance scheme, which makes it impossible to fully cover pension payments through workforce contributions and requires continued support from the budget.
For MP Jorida Tabaku, this budget does not improve the lives of citizens, and even makes it more difficult for the middle class.
“As long as the tradition of concessions continues, where the rich get more and citizens get less, the budget is unfair,” she says.
The good news for this year is the improvement in the health budget.
Negative media campaigns and numerous citizen protests, mainly over the pronounced shortages of oncology Services, seem to have been reflected in the budget.
Around 82.5 billion lek in 2026 will go to this sector, which in addition to the salaries of "white collar workers", will also include necessary investments in equipment and infrastructure.
When expenses are rising, the costs are not small.
The budget deficit will deepen, and is projected to reach 63 billion lek, up from 61 billion a year ago.
As promises increase and the budget increases, what should be reflected is the improvement of citizens' lives, but whether it will happen or not remains to be seen. /acqj.al
