During the first three months of the current year (first semester 2009), the Added Value Tax (VAT) has brought the Albanian state 16 billion Albanian lek (ALL), reports the local press (Agon, 9.06.2009). The newspaper quotes official voices from the Ministry of Finances, saying that the sum is twice as high as a year ago (first semester 2008). According to these sources, the VAT revenue is expected to reach at the end of the current year 10 % of the Gross Domestic Production (GDP).
Earlier this week, another newspaper (Shqip 7.06.2009) was critical to the information releases of the Ministry of Finances, estimating this Ministry to be “The least informant institution concerning the publication of the information. On the official homepage remain data from the 7-monthly [sic] of 2007, while as concerns reporting to the media, it is long since the last conference is forgotten”. Another line confirms the tendency of stale information readiness, but gives as a last update for the date of the Ministry’s site, November 2008. The newspaper also criticizes the fact that the internet page has been off line this week and reminds readers of the importance of this shortage in a situation where the bigger part of the electoral campaign for the upcoming elections of the 28th of June 2009 is based on economic information and statistical data.
