Open Data Albania has conducted a research on the financial support provided from the State Budget to the “former politically persecuted” since 2005, in total value and as a percentage of GDP. For this reason the Fiscal Tables of the Consolidated Budget were examined, also known as Table 6 of the Budget Law, in which funds for this category occupy a special place in Total Expenditure section. To meet further analysis, not only the Initial budget approved each year was studied, but for years in which data could be obtained, there were taken into consideration the Additional Budget, the Revised Budget, Normative Act of the Budget and the Actual Budget.
Year 2005 is the first year in which the funds for the ?former politically persecuted? step aside as a budget item. During this year, the estimated expected amount was 260 million or about 0.028 % of the GDP. It is noted that over the years, the predicted amount has generally increased, reaching a peak in 2009. Thus, in 2006, budget support for this category rose by 53 % compared to 2005 and remained at the same levels in 2007. 2008 was a year which marks a significant increase in funding, going to about 0.1 % of GDP. Year 2009 follows with this growth, with further doubling of funds reaching the value of 2 billion or 0.173 % of GDP.
The increasing of the budget expenditure during 2009 as a result of the incomes from the privatization of the OSSH, caused funds for the “political persecuted” to reach 3.17 billion, the highest amount ever awarded by the budget for this category. After this moment, there is a constant level of 2 billion ALL budgeted for 2010 and 2011, although the total budget expenditures were increasing. The year 2012 marks a decrease of 15 % of funding, bringing support for “the former politically persecuted” in 0.122 % of GDP, the lowest level since 2008.
However, despite the growing support in the initial budget during 2005-2009, their actual realization was not at 100 %. Thus, the actual realization until November of 2007, was 50 % or 200 million of the 400 million that were anticipated at the beginning of the year. In the fiscal table that refers to the actual data for 12 months of the year 2007, the voice of “former politically persecuted” does not appear , preventing total discretion over the implementation of these expenses by the end of the year. 2008 is the year in which it was carried 100 % of the amount projected in the initial budget. Meanwhile, in 2009, which at first glance appear very supportive of this category, was realised at about 69 %. So, from 3.17 billion, that were the funds after the Budget Review, the actual realization was only 2.2 billion. However, it still marks the highest level of actual disbursement by the State Budget for the “former politically persecuted”.
The low realization of this voice characterizes even the coming years. From 2 billion predicted in the original budget for 2010, the actual realization was only 1 billion or 50 % of the beginning budget. During 2011, efforts seem to have increased compared to a year ago, to “protect” funding for the ” former politically persecuted” during the budget review, however, the actual level of performance was 1.5 billion versus 2 billion projected in beginning of the year or 75 % .
Source: Ministry of finance
Comments and Analysis: ODA
Regardless of the actual budget data for 2012 that have not been released yet, the initial Treasury data shows a 100 % of their realization in November. Furthermore, the pressure for quick repayment of the obligations to the former politically persecuted, made the government forecast in the budget 3 billion ALL in 2013 or about 76 % more than in 2012. However, taking into account the level of performance of this item for years and the fact of an election year, it should be waited at least till the 6 -month reports to assess the real commitment to the budget for the repayment of liabilities.
Source: Ministry of finance
Comments and Analysis: ODA