The DP's economic advisor, Dorian Teliti, has reacted harshly regarding the unfair blow being dealt to business in the country by the tax administration.
Invited to the studio for the lunch program with Ola Bruko, in News24, Teliti referred to the case of the attack on "Birra Korça", a historic beer and the oldest local beer brand. The Tax Directorate hit the oldest beer company in Albania and one of the most regular taxpayers in the country by freezing its bank accounts.
Teliti stated that the government should be transparent about this issue, and that the minutes in this case should be published, if there were any advisory or warning notices. According to Teliti, not only the last resort, such as fines, should be applied, but other milder forms of action, such as advisory or warning, should be exhausted towards businesses.
"It's not that we are among the countries with a weak business climate, but we are last. This is one of the alarm bells that has been ringing for years. We have heard it in every official report. We are very far from the region. In the eyes of foreign and domestic investors, Albania is the most difficult country to do business in. The government sees it as a safe haven for business. It often attacks it. Business in Albania has been redacted. The reason is; businesses that close because they cannot succeed and businesses that open because they have support and recognition. There is no certainty in doing business. There are some instruments that are not implemented, such as advice, but they do not exist. Tax structures should advise, not every business may be familiar with these legal changes.
State structures have a duty not to go to the last step, but they must also look at the other links. As happened in the case of Korça Beer, which was unfairly hit a few days ago. A 30-year-old business, a historic brand. The Albanian government crushed the domestic beer business with the imported one. Domestic beer was hit and the domestic business went bankrupt. A business that has employed over 100 families for years, has paid hundreds of millions of euros in taxes over the years, was hit. It hits mercilessly. What does this hit mean? What are the reasons for the hit, why are they not made public? Why are the minutes not made public, if there were any, of counseling, which unfortunately there were none, of guidance, of warning?! Why does it go to extreme measures?! The state has both the stone and the nut, but here the difference is made. The country does not develop like this, but is depopulated. We are the country with the lowest salaries and pensions in the world," said Teliti.
