The Committee for Legal Affairs convened this Monday to discuss amendments to the social assistance law, with a particular focus on the baby bonus.<\/p>\n
According to a proposal put forth by the Ministry of Health, the baby bonus will no longer be granted to families residing outside of Albania\u2019s borders. Deputy Minister of Health Denada Seferi asserted that this proposition aims to eliminate dual benefits for families living abroad and establish a level playing field for those residing within Albania.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe baby bonus was initially introduced to provide support for every newborn and their respective families. This initiative was undertaken in the context of bolstering population growth. Over the years 2019-2023, we have consistently overseen the allocation of 188,623 bonuses for newborns, whether born within or outside the country. Our observations have indicated a significant rise in the number of supported families who are not residents of the Republic of Albania.<\/p>\n
In light of this, following requests from parliament members and groups armed with field research, we have arrived at the conclusion that this bonus should exclusively be accessible to citizens living within the country\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n
Our analysis has shown that parents who give birth to children abroad also receive payments from the countries where they work and reside, thereby benefiting from dual sources.<\/p>\n
Through this proposed policy, our aim is to prevent dual benefits and ensure equitable conditions for newborns born within Albania,\u201d stated the Deputy Minister of Health.<\/p>\n
However, the proposal faced resistance from the opposition, which highlighted the absence of a comprehensive report and the potential implications on the state budget.<\/p>\n
Dhurata \u00c7upi, a member of the Democratic Party, underscored that at a time when reports from the State Supreme Audit Institution (KLSH) and international assessments point to financial irregularities and significant financial losses in various policies, the government and parliament are making substantial efforts to discontinue the baby bonus for newborns born abroad.<\/p>\n
\u201cPoverty and the establishment of a minimum living standard are two of the nation\u2019s most pressing concerns. We have submitted a comprehensive package concerning social assistance. Today, we were expecting a legislative proposal for the enhancement of social assistance, the approval of a minimum living standard, and a comprehensive report on demographic indicators for Albanian citizens.<\/p>\n
However, the discussion has only introduced a single element: the restriction of the baby bonus solely to children born within Albania. In a context where there are 23,000 births within the country and 18,000 abroad, a thorough analysis of the consequences of withdrawing the baby bonus has not been presented. Essentially, this implies that these children born abroad will no longer be eligible for the bonus, even as we strive to foster a stronger connection with the Albanian diaspora,\u201d stated the Democrat MP.<\/p>\n
In total, over a span of four years from the commencement of the baby bonus program in 2019-2022, as per data derived from the Ministry of Health\u2019s monitoring reports, the state budget has allocated a sum of 11.5 billion Albanian lek, equivalent to approximately 112 million euros.<\/p>\n
The cumulative number of eligible babies, according to the Ministry of Health\u2019s Monitoring data, stands at 161,943 newborns. Taking into account the birth figures for the years 2019-2022, as reported by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), there were 108,535 births, indicating that 33%, or 53,408 bonus recipients, reside outside the country\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Committee for Legal Affairs convened this Monday to discuss amendments to the social assistance law, with a particular focus on the baby bonus. According to a proposal put forth by the Ministry of Health, the baby bonus will no longer be granted to families residing outside of Albania\u2019s borders. Deputy Minister of Health Denada […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":58576,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153],"tags":[270,2930,4319,823,243,151,845,4318,4317],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n