On behalf of every resident, regardless of whether he lives in the north or the south, village or city, 25,771 ALL will be spent next year. To build roads, water supply schools, manage waste or protect against fires and floods, the 61 municipalities in the country will have nearly 72 billion ALL at their disposal.
"We are the last country in Southeast Europe in terms of the level of expenditure per inhabitant. This shows that we are not where we should be, so there is dissatisfaction," says Agron Haxhimali, Executive Director of the Institute for Municipalities of Albania.
Despite the increase compared to previous years, local finance experts estimate that the rush to approve the budget risks that its distribution does not meet the needs of the citizens.
"It took only 5 minutes for its approval. It is the most important document of the life of a state. That doesn't taste good to me. Also, the consultation period was very narrow."
Although the 2024 budget, including that of the local government, was approved in principle by the socialists, the Fier and Berat municipalities have requested more available funds. The Institute of Municipalities also requests a review of the funds during the phase before the draft budget is approved item by item on December 15.
"We have asked to double the sectoral transfers for fire protection, forests and pastures, rural roads. We asked for 3 times the transfer for rural roads."
Contrary to what has happened until now, in the past years it had become a tradition to include the leaders of municipalities and associations of the latter in the parliamentary commissions for discussions on the draft budget. The protests of the opposition and the transition to the "online" format seem to have influenced the breaking of this rule. (A2 Televizion)
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MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
