Ruling Democrats spar with opposition Socialists over taxation, state of healthcare system and jobs. Independent analysts say many of the promises are simply unattainable.
TIRANA, March 27 – With the parliamentary elections three months away, on Albania’s political parties have turned into full electoral campaign mode, with leaders making promises of fewer taxes, more services and hundreds of thousands of new jobs at a time when the economy is facing a difficult time.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the governing Democratic Party and Edi Rama of the main opposition Socialist Party have been holding meetings across the country. And it seems that economy will be the focus of the forthcoming polls.
If pledges are made true, it appears most Albanians will be released of many taxes, depending on the political ideologies supported. However one can hardly find out which is the center-right or center-left wing when listening to the daily pledges.
The opposition has also accused the government of copying pledges and programs first proposed by the opposition.
It seems that both sides aim at attracting more voters with pledges for smaller taxes.
The governing democrats stick to their flat tax while the opposition has turned to the progressive tax, offering fewer taxes for the poor and medium class and more for the rich.
However the government is also on a tax cutting spree. After taking off tax for salaries lower than 30,000 leks per month, up from 10,000 leks per month before, the government is making tax reductions every day, or better say, every week in the cabinet meetings.
Analysts note that such lower taxes will get 130 million euros less from the budget it approved by the end of the year, which will only increase the deficit.
This week the government and Berisha said that the tax on old vehicles imported in the country will be cut in half. Berisha said that after checking all the other countries they had noticed that no country had imposed such a tax that takes more from the poor and less from the rich. That tax was imposed only two years ago.
At the same time the government also said they would take away the 10 percent tax on farmers for all the products, materials and equipment they use.
That could possibly be part of a center-left political program but Berisha’s government is center-right.
The daily campaign continues in all the spheres of life, recently it also turned towards the health system, which in fact is in a very poor situation.
The government claims it has achieved higher standards in the last eight years. But the opposition says that, on the contrary, the health system has become worse.
Rama himself directly attacked nurses who always ask for cash bribes for any service they do in the hospitals.
Berisha came out to defend nurses.
In fact, going to hospitals is a real curse for Albanians. Of course it is not formal or legal to pay money, but very often if you don’t do it, starting from the nurses up to the doctors, the patient often gets inferior service if any at all.
Rama again made the offer of a debate with Berisha, a former cardiologist himself, to talk on the health system.
Berisha refused, as he always has. It is not likely that there will be a debate between the two leaders.
