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"The economy in the country counts"/ Teliti: In 13 years with the Socialists, corruption is 100%

2026-02-13 17:29:00, Politikë CNA

"The economy in the country counts"/ Teliti: In 13 years with the

Democrat Dorjan Teliti shared a critical stance today regarding the situation of the Albanian economy, which, according to him, is stagnant.

Invited to "Syri TV", Teliti stated that in these years of socialist governance, the profits from the economy have gone to a small handful of people, while young people and pensioners have not benefited at all.

According to Teliti, the reason for this situation is the abandonment and hitting of the economy with various policies, which have led to corruption reaching 100%.

"The Albanian economy is not going through good times, on the contrary, it has been years since the Albanian economy, in its best years, has been a stable place. While in its bad days it has taken steps back. Because it does not matter to have an economic growth of plus 2 or 3%, as it has been these years, 2, 3, 4%. More important is how this economic growth is distributed to the layers of society. So, in other words, is economic growth simply statistical growth, in numbers, or a growth that affects all citizens, wherever they are, in the city or the village, in the north or the south, in the east or the west? Is it a growth that is affected by Albanian enterprises? Or has one won and 100 others have lost on the other hand?

Albanian reality has shown over the last 12-13 years that a small handful of people, individuals, entrepreneurs, have gained in a dizzying way, while over 95-96% of the population, according to statistics, have really lost. Who has lost? The youth have lost, so they have left. The pensioners have lost, which are 720,000 pensioners, who have pensions today with lower real purchasing power than 13 years ago. The pension has increased by 30-40,000 ALL, but in the meantime prices have increased much more, which means they buy less than they did 13 years ago. And these are the official statistics of the Albanian government itself.

Albanian entrepreneurship has lost, suffering the highest taxes in the region for 13 years. We no longer have that primacy of the lowest taxes. On the contrary, from January 1, 2014, the Albanian state, the Albanian government imposed the highest taxes in the region and is proud of this.

What about corruption? That taxi driver who comes to your door. A few days ago, a report by Transparency International came out, which talks about the perception of corruption, according to them. But we see and experience corruption every day. You have the case of Balluku. You have the case of other ministers. You have that entire dome of the Albanian government and directors, who are accused or arrested. They talk about perception and make an assessment of perception. While Albanians experience every day what it means to have corruption inside your home, that is, the environment, the lifestyle, the community where you live.

It is not for nothing that there is a lack of medicines in hospitals, it is not for nothing that we still have cities without schools, without kindergartens and nurseries. It is not for nothing that there are no more public facilities, because a handful of people have been given to concrete them. It is not for nothing that today we have an economy that from a statistical point of view may be plus 2, 3, 4%, but in terms of vulnerability for citizens it is nothing.

In other words, if there are 10 people and we have 10 eggs, do you know what the Albanian economic growth is? All 10 eggs were taken by a single person. What about the other nine? The other nine were left with nothing, not even the shells, only the remains of the shells. So this is Albania's economic growth? That a small handful of people have benefited, while the vast majority of Albanians have lost and the vast majority of businesses have suffered or gone bankrupt.

Remember what happened last year: the euro, the narco-euro, has practically destroyed the manufacturing sector. Where are those fasons that once upon a time were a kind of partial solution to the problem of poverty? Three-quarters of them have gone bankrupt. Open INSTAT's own statistics. What does it say? Albania has two manufacturing sectors: agriculture and the processing industry. Both, since 2022, have been in recession.

Are these things discussed by the prime minister, by the ministers? Can an economy that does not produce be sustained? Can an economy that does not create added value be sustained? What kind of economy do we have? An import economy? As we have said and repeated over and over again that today, unfortunately for years, we consume milk from Serbia, potatoes from Kosovo, cheese from Greece, vegetables from North Macedonia. While all of these are products that our land, our livestock and our farmers can produce very well.

The fact that we have abandoned them and hit them with a variety of policies has brought us to this situation: a statistical economic growth that is affected by a handful of people.

Focusing on the report, expenses for clothing and furniture are reduced. If you look at the structure published by INSTAT for the family budget, approximately 80% of the budget goes to basic things: food, clothing, drinks, education, health. 80%. Tell me a country in Europe where 80% of the family budget goes to basic living products.

How is it possible that during 13 years, the structure of the Albanian family budget has not changed? Are these 13 years lost? Or 13 years behind? While the countries of the region have moved forward. Because we are not a closed economy, we are an open economy. If we stay in place and others move forward, it means that we have taken steps backward.

The problem is increasing. There is no addressing it. We are told about everything, except the problems of the people. For humor, for jokes, to protect those who have caused these problems, yes. When it comes to bread on the table, poverty that is over 40%, education that is the last in the region, healthcare that requires friends or money, there is silence.

These are the issues that need to be discussed. Unfortunately, we have a government that only looks after its own interests and the protection of its inner circle. Even when the prosecution demands the opposite.

As for Transparency International, political makeup exists everywhere, but this is not makeup, it is plastering. Whole layers to hide a bitter reality that we touch every day. Being behind Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, when 10-12 years ago you were ahead of them, is unacceptable.

Corruption has always existed, but not at these levels. Today we have 100% levels, as in the case of the two bridges behind the Llogara tunnel. 30-40% as in the case of the Llogara tunnel. And other corruptions at dizzying levels, which cost Albanians their lives, health and future", said Teliti./ CNA