TIRANA, Feb. 16 – Prime Minister Edi Rama has dismissed Finance Minister Shkelqim Cani and replaced him with Economy Minister Arben Ahmetaj in what is considered as the first government reshuffle within the Socialist Party ranks. The surprise sacking, which comes halfway through his first term in office, puts an end to Rama’s determination to finish his four-year term with the same cabinet members.
The government’s statement did not provide any motives regarding the Prime Minister’s decision to sack his Finance Minister. Instead, it simply ‘thanked’ the minister for his contribution.
“Prime Minister Edi Rama thanked the Minister of Finance Shkelqim Cani for his commitment, professionalism and integrity in accomplishing one of the most difficult governing tasks of this mandate,” the government’s press release read.
Although no official reasons are given on Cani’s dismissal, the poor performance of the country’s public finances is believed to be the key reason behind the sacking. Albania’s public finances struggled in 2015 with the budget revised downward three times to handle lower income from international oil prices, spillover effects from the escalating crisis in neighboring Greece and poor domestic consumption. A costly customs assistance contract with UK-based Crown Agents consultant and an aggressive nationwide campaign to curb widespread informality launched in late 2015 did not help improve the situation with public finances.
Reacting to the news, the leader of the opposition Lulzim Basha said that “Cani was sacrificed by Edi Rama to cover up failures in collecting taxes and customs revenue.”
Basha added that “400 million dollars are missing from these sectors and that by appointing Ahmetaj, the Prime Minister confirmed theft as the standard of his government.”
The opposition has also claimed that Cani is a victim of refusing a concession which transfers VAT collection into private hands.
For Socialist MP Ben Blushi, a strong critic of the current government, the latest government reshuffle is overdue while he once again expressed reservations on the way the country is being governed.
“Individual names are not important, what’s important is the way the country is being governed, more than anything. Very few policies to help the poor, the fiscal performance is also very poor. This is clearly not the right direction,” said Blushi when asked regarding the latest cabinet changes.
Former Finance Minister Cani will continue to be a member of parliament as he had refused to relinquish his MP mandate. Prime Minister Edi Rama had asked his ministers to give up their parliamentary seats to solely focus on their work as cabinet members.
Meanwhile, Milva Ekonomi, a renowned economist who has held the post of the deputy health minister, will replace Arben Ahmetaj as minister of economic development, tourism, trade and entrepreneurship.
The latest reshuffle follows an earlier replacement by the Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI), the Socialist Party’s key ally, who last November appointed Ylli Manjani as new justice minister. Manjani replaced Nasip Naà§o who had also been nominated by the SMI.
