Minister of Finance Petrit Malaj said that the draft budget for 2025 pays special attention to the financing of the European Union (EU) Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, as an important instrument for accelerating the economic and social convergence of the country with EU countries.

During the presentation of the draft budget 2025 at the Parliamentary Committee for Legal Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights, the minister informed that the positive macroeconomic indicators support the growing trend of the economy at the level of 3.9% for the year 2025 and the reduction of the debt to 55.8% of GDP.

Regarding the 2025 budget for the justice sector, he said that expenses have seen a significant increase since the launch of the reform in the Justice system in 2016.

"The draft budget of 2025 foresees about Lek 27 billion for this sector, or about Lek 14.3 billion more than in 2016 and Lek 800 million more compared to 2024. These figures reflect the financial support for the establishment and operation of the new reform institutions, which include the institutions of Vetting, the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime, the High Council of Justice, the reform of the institutions of the prosecution system and the judicial system, the High Inspectorate of Justice, the School of Magistrates, the reform of other institutions under the Ministry of Justice, concluding it with the financial support of technology systems in the justice system and the approval of the new judicial map," said Malaj.

The minister gave details of the draft budget for this sector, where he pointed out that personnel expenses for employees of the justice system are expected to be Lek 17.2 billion, or Lek 10.2 billion more than in 2016.

According to him, for the year 2025, personnel expenses for all institutions of the justice system have increased by Lek 1.2 billion compared to the initial budget for 2024.

This increase, the minister explained, is due to the financial effect of the wage reform of 2024 as well as the increase in the number of employees predicted for this sector in 2025 with about 154 employees.

Malaj announced that investment expenses in 2025 are expected to be around Lek 3 billion, bringing the total funding from 2016 to Lek 16.7 billion.