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Ditari i Opozitës

DP against the draft law for the creation of a National Economic Chamber: It creates a cage for government propaganda

Politiko 2024-04-18 12:15:05

DP against the draft law for the creation of a National Economic Chamber: It

DP has expressed against the creation of the National Economic Chamber. The member of the National Council, Akil Kraja, said that this could create a propaganda cage for the government.

Kraja said that DP expresses support for the position of the 19 Chambers of Commerce operating in Albania, which includes the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), the German Chamber of Commerce in Albania (DIHA), the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Albania (ÇIA), the French Chamber of Trade in Albania, Association of Foreign Investors in Albania (FIAA), etc.

"Another draft law, this one also not consulted with the interest groups, provides for the creation of a National Chamber of Commerce, membership in which will be mandatory for every business. The membership quota is also mandatory, which is provided for in basis of the annual turnover and will be decided by the Minister of the line.

We remind you that the Chambers of Public Trade are organized by law which dates back to the years 2006-2008, when the country was under the government of the Democratic Party. Driven by World Bank criteria and the Doing Business index, membership in these chambers became voluntary for every business. The World Bank and the Doing Business index consider the mandatory membership of businesses in a public Chamber of Commerce as a hidden tax and a negative point. Among many other reforms, even this liberating initiative for entrepreneurship enabled Albania to improve several dozen positions of attractiveness in the World Bank ranking.

Unfortunately, since 2013, the situation has been going downhill. Albania is now ranked among the last countries in the Balkans. Albanian business has suffered not only the doubling of taxes from the abandonment of the 10% flat tax, but also from the addition of hidden fees and taxes, such as the one that is expected to be included in the draft law that creates the National Chamber of Commerce. Let's also add here that, with extremely frequent changes in fiscal rates and practices, today it is impossible for a new business to have a predictability of what it will pay to the state not after 2-3 years from the initial investment, but not even in the first 6 months.

Beyond the economic aspect, the draft law provides that it will be the line Minister who will approve the statute of the National Economic Chamber, which will be financed by the state for at least the first two years. This clearly means a political subjugation of the Chamber. Instead of turning into a federating environment, protecting and promoting the interests of Albanian private business, the Chamber in the model presented in the draft law risks turning into a closed cage where the propaganda of the government's strategic investors, such as the company 5D, and not the real needs of Albanian businesses.

PD supports the need to review the operation of public Chambers of Commerce, but not by imposing fees and mandatory memberships. On the contrary, DP promotes the delegation of more competences from the State to the public Chambers of Commerce, ensuring more opportunities to offer new services to Albanian business, as it happens in many countries of the European Union" , stated Kraja.