The 2014 budget has an increase of 20-25 percent for police forces.
TIRANA, Jan. 6 – The new Socialist-led government of Prime Minister Edi Rama has decided to significantly increase of the salaries of the law-enforcement officials, aiming to increase motivation in the police force.
That motivation has been a major goal for the new government to improve security in the country with many murders and traffic accidents, at a time when hundreds of thousands of weapons are kept illegally.
The budget this year will envisage an increase of 20-25 percent for the police forces, starting this month. The new budget had a 14 percent higher amount for police in total.
Police have been among the least paid public employees in the country. Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri said they hoped the salary increase would translate into greater safety of Albanian citizens.
Along its path of integration into the European Union, Albania is also strengthening ties with the EU law enforcement agencies in an effort to stop organized crime and consolidate the rule of law on its path to EU membership.
Last month the country signed a cooperation agreement with Europol.
It will try to enhance co-operation EU member states acting through Europol and Albania in preventing, investigating and suppressing serious forms of international crime. Albanian police will be able to access Europol’s database to co-ordinate activities with police in EU member states in cases against trafficking of narcotics, people, motor vehicles, works of art as well as historical artifacts.
In addition Albania has been intensifying cooperation with neighboring countries’ law enforcement.
