Money laundering/ Albania's regression from 2016 to today

A candidate country for the EU, but Albania still suffers from a high level of corruption and is listed on the 'grey' list of money laundering. Fiscal amnesty, the initiative strongly supported by the Albanian government, but opposed by locals and internationals, risks giving impetus to money laundering. This was also evidenced in the last report of the European Commission.

The fight against this phenomenon is an essential condition for the country's European future. But how have the indicators been in recent years? We recall that in 2015, Albania would leave the gray list, an assessment that at that time was quite positive. Then there was backlash, causing our country to fail in the fight against money laundering.

Year 2016

Albania ranks 102 out of 146 countries in total, according to the Basel Index (the lower in the ranking, the lower the risk of money laundering). At the time, it was reported that some crime money was laundered by buying up legitimate businesses, or entering into partnerships with them. In parallel, the purchase of real estate such as land, apartments, hotels and gas stations are also widely used methods, as is the purchase of luxury goods.

Year 2017

Albania takes steps behind, ranking among the 15 countries with the highest risk in Europe. Specifically, Albania ranks 85th with a score of 5.75, marking a deterioration compared to last year, when the same index had improved to 5.04, after the level of 5.56 in 2015.

Shifrat tregojnë se kemi një përkeqësim në pikëzimin e indeksit, por ndërkohe një përmirësim në renditje. Në vitin 2016 sipas të njëjtit dokument renditeshim në vendin e 102.

Viti 2018

Në raportin e 2018-s, Shqipëria hyri në listën e vendeve që do t’i nënshtroheshin një ndjekjeje apo monitorimi të zgjeruar nga ana e Moneyval për shkak të dobësive që u konstatuan në raportin e fundit të lidhur me masat ndaj parandalimit të pastrimit të parave dhe luftës kundër terrorizmit.

Ndërtimi ishte sektori më me risk për pastrimin e parave, sipas raportit që u publikua në dhjetor 2018. Shqipëria grumbulloi 5.57 pikë, duke u vlerësuar si vendi me perfomancën më të dobët në Rajon.

Viti 2019

The index ranked Albania fourth in Europe and 39th in the world for the risk of money laundering. In June of that year, Albania made some legal adjustments for the fight against money laundering, but it remained part of the countries under monitoring.

Year 2020

In 2020, Albania received 5.69 points and returned to the money laundering gray list as a high-risk country. Albania was classified as the second country with the highest risk in Europe.

The year 2021

Albania has not improved measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, said the MONEYVAL report. While the Basel Index ranked Albania 72nd among 110 countries. The risk increased significantly, as a year ago it was ranked 44th with a score level of 5.69.