The end of the year just left behind, Albanians "plunged" into pessimism. In December, the economic sentiment indicator that measures the ability of businesses to invest and consumers to spend fell to 108.6 points. This is the lowest level recorded in more than 8 months.
"After this, we have economic growth, but that does not translate into more welfare for the citizens", Shpëtim Agolli, an expert on the economy, tells A2 CNN.
Despite the record figures of tourism, the confidence of businesses in the field of services, which includes super-markets, bars and restaurants, fell by a full 5.5 points in December. This was the second strongest drop recorded for the year just left behind.
Confidence in trade also went along a similar line, which fell by 3.3 points, ending the year with pessimism. "This is related to the fact that the consumer has no guarantee. Nothing is certain. Prices can change suddenly," says Agolli.
Despite inflation returning to the target for months, Albanians remain afraid of a possible return of the inflation wave. Last month, consumer confidence fell by 1.7 points.
"We only feel crisis. Prices rise, everything becomes unaffordable. Income shrinks as we spend more. salaries are in place. With the income I get, you can just eat bread and drink a coffee. The wages are low and I am thinking of leaving. I aim at Germany", citizens say to the microphone of A2 CNN.
The only sector that believes the economy is doing well is construction. In December, confidence in this area of the economy registered an increase of 2.7 percentage points, remaining about 21 percentage points above the historical average. (A2 Televizion)
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