The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Belinda Balluku, in her capacity as the political leader of the Dibër district, held a meeting with the pensioners in this city.
In her speech, Balluku focused on the increase in salaries and the indexation of pensions made during the past year.
The minister emphasized that pensions only increased by 9.5% in 2022, while inflation, according to her, was considered no more than 7%.
Balluku told the pensioners that in September, in addition to the indexation that will happen due to inflation, they will also receive the rest of the bonus, of another 5 thousand additional lek that comes again from the second part of the extraordinary taxation.
" This is a very important moment, since we have made a program in terms of increasing the salaries of the administration, which will reach 900 euros in these two years, starting once from the most essential professions such as doctors, nurses , teachers, firefighters, etc. and then continue with the entire administration cascade.
During the last year we have indexed the pension by 9.5%, despite the fact that all inflation was considered no more than 7%, the Albanian Government made the decision to index your pension by 9.5%. There will be a new pension indexation at the end of September this year, based on the inflation that will occur next year. At the beginning of last year we declared that the increased income from energy production for some private entities that earned more because of the war, all those incomes that the state would collect would be given to pensioners.
Then, if you remember, we also had the visit of the President of the European Commission here in Albania, Ursula von der Leyen, who said the same thing, that all the countries of the European Union should collect the extraordinary tax from unexpected incomes due to the war and to distribute to groups in need.
The Albanian government decided that the group in need are undoubtedly pensioners, 650 thousand pensioners. For this reason, the revenues we have collected, 4.1 billion ALL collected during the month of March from the extraordinary energy tax, have been decided by the Albanian Government to be distributed to pensioners in the form of a bonus of 5 thousand ALL. So all those who have received the pension, I don't know if you have all increased to receive it, I believe you know that you received 5 thousand additional lek that came from the extraordinary tax.
And you will receive the second installment, since the second installment of this tax, which has the same value, we divided it into two parts, during the year for the first six months at the end of March and then in September. In September, in addition to the indexation that will occur due to inflation in your pension, you will also receive the rest of the bonus, and another 5 thousand additional lek that comes again from the second part of the extraordinary taxation.
It is in our policy, it is in our program to take care of you, since you have contributed to the development of Albania, but on the other hand you have spent your life in the most difficult times. In the most difficult times in terms of the regime before democracy, but on the other hand also in the transition period that has not been an easy period for anyone. So care is maximum for all pensioners. The attention of the Albanian Government is on you. I know that we need to do more and we will do more, but I am actually proud that the revenue from the extraordinary energy tax and all the effort that we have made as the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy was put to come to you", Balluku said