WB: “Economic growth, 2.1%. Our data, more updated than EBRD”

The Bank Director for Southeastern Europe, Ellen Goldstein, declared that the negative effects were compensated by the progress of the internal economy.

“This is the reason why our evaluation for Albania ahs changed. If the Eurozone would have preserved the same economic growth that we had foreseen by the beginning of the year, Albania would have gone above its objective of 2.1%. However, the most important thing is that Albania is growing, despite what is happening in the Eurozone”, Goldstein declared.

Bank experts say that investments and consumptions have had a better growth, by compensating the negative consequences of the Eurozone.

“Consumption has been under pressure, especially in 2013. Maybe the increased consumption has come as result of the tendency to bring the Albanian consumer into a normal trajectory”, declared the expert Hilda Shijaku.

This evaluation comes one day after the EBRD corrected the economic growth of Albania for 2014 from 1.7% to 1.5%. Goldstein says that the World Bank predictions are more accurate.

“As I said, the Albanian economy has improved even during 2014. I believe that the EBRD will review its evaluation. Same as EBRD, we base our evaluations on the figures coming from your institutions. It will be impossible to have such a big change of the growth. I believe that our figures will be around 2%”, Goldstein declared.

The World Bank supports the energy reform

Director Goldstein expressed the Bank’s stance about the reform in energy, which has turned into a hot topic between the majority and the opposition.

“We support the efforts and the reform that is being undertaken by the energy sector. I know that some measures may have been harsh, but it is important that all consumers now pay the same fee, and that the government keeps helping the poor families. I think that these two have been realized”, Goldstein declared.

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