Opposition says new budget deepens poverty

TIRANA, Nov 17 – The Albanian main opposition Socialists claimed that the draft budget of the Democratic Party-run government would deepen the country’s poverty hitting negatively against the poorest strata of the society.
Kastriot Islami of the Socialists said that the global financial crisis would attack with more taxes the poor and those who have taken loans, credits.
He said prices would go up together with unemployment.
He added that the government added tot hat poverty with the loans that the executive gets for its projects.
The government has not forecast any way how to cope with the world crisis in the tiny Balkan country.
Albania increased the debts during the last three years with 1.3 billion Euros, reaching 5.3 billion Euros in total.
Islami said that at the same period the executive’s personal property increased by 24 million Euros hinting to the corruption of the top cabinet staff.
Finance Minister Ridvan Bode, on his side, insisted that next year’s budget was the biggest the country had ever had due to the positive developments in the administration of the public funding.
A ministry statement said that next year the revenues would increase by 300 million Euros and the budget deficit would further lower.