Hundreds of citizens continued their mass protests for the 5th day in a row, calling on the government to come out with a more reasonable emergency response to the recent price hike.
However, PM Edi Rama gave a public message today, during which he called these protests ’shameful’.
“Bombs and airstrikes are falling over Ukraine, whereas here, the war is being reduced to price receipts. To discuss this means embarrassing your nation, your country, in front of the entire world,” – said Rama.
The prime minister also announced that he is currently negotiating with Serbia over recovering the amount of wheat that had already been ordered by Albanian businessmen before the Serbian government announced that it would halt all wheat exports in response to the global crisis.
“We are currently negotiating [with Serbia] in order to emit at least part of the wheat orders that had been contracted by our companies and we hope we’ll get it done. And we’re only able to do this as a result of the Open Balkan initiative, so take a moment to think about that” – said Rama.
After a meeting in a local flour firm, PM Rama refuted the protestors’ calls, which accused him of robbing citizens blind.
Rama also reiterated the different steps in his social resistance package that include an additional €25 euros for seniors and citizens in need for the next 3 months, as well as an exclusion of income tax on all wages below €350 euros per month.
However, protestors are calling for a more reasonable economic relief package like the one being applied in North Macedonia. They’ve called for a lower price ceiling for oil as well as an exclusion of VAT tax.
PM Rama, however, was steadfast on the fact that the price of oil won’t go any lower, adding that the government is already subsidizing small businesses and household electricity bills, which according to Rama, is what’s keeping the price of electricity unchanged.
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