Bill obliging citizens to declare personal income ready for approval

TIRANA, July 5 – Finance Minister Ridvan Bode has announced that government will approve next week a draft law on the declaration of personal income for all citizens. Speaking to a group of journalists on Top Channel TV, Bode said the law was part of reforms to meet EU standards.
Under the bill, apart from senior government and public administration officials, all Albanian citizens will soon have to declare their wealth at the end of each year.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Sali Berisha said that under the personal declaration of income, the Finance Ministry would refund citizens at the end of the year for the excess taxes they have paid based on the bills they possess.
“This document which I would call the document of universal transparency for citizens’ revenues, increases the obligations of the Finance Ministry and the country’s finances in general towards citizens,” said Berisha. He described the income declaration by citizens as a modern European practice which was coming late to Albania.