The Parliamentary Committee for Economy and Finance approved on Tuesday with the majority of votes the legal initiative for waiving fines.

This initiative foresees the abolition of penalties imposed during the last 10 years, not only in rural areas but also in urban areas.

More specifically, it is about the abolition of all administrative measures by the State Health Inspectorate throughout the territory of the Republic of Albania, the Local Inspectorates of Territory Protection, the Central Inspectorate of Territory Protection, the National Food Authority, as well as the Municipal Police and the Police of State.

The Minister of State for Relations with the Parliament, Taulant Balla, said that this bill aims to cancel all administrative measures imposed from January 1, 2015, to November 30, 2024, in rural areas, as far as the administrative measures imposed by local inspectorates are concerned.

SP MP Erion Braçe explained that in 2014 there were changes in the territorial development regulation aimed directly at control over the territory.

The committee also proposed the abolition of fines for individual apartments in the city. Now this legal initiative will also have to receive approval in the Parliament, to be implemented.

On the other hand, the opposition MPs expressed their opinion against the initiative proposed by Socialist Party MP Erion Braçe, arguing that it is done with the aim of influencing the elections of May next year. They called this initiative an electoral 'candy'.

In principle, the opposition was not against the abolition of fines, but according to them, the moment in which this thing is being implemented is inappropriate.

The DP MP, Jorida Tabaku, said that the draft law came without an explanatory report on the effects on the budget of this draft law and that there is no analysis of how many fines have been collected and how many have remained uncollected.

She emphasized that the opposition is against high fines, disproportionate to the income and the damage it causes. According to her, such a system should be established that certainly respects the law, but does not use the fine as a “whip”.

She also said that while we are talking about fines, the municipality of Tirana has blocked several businesses for non-payment of obligations.

Tabaku pointed out that the way the draft law is drafted leaves it up to local institutions and inspectors to decide whose fine will be canceled. "The inspector who imposed the fine decides whether he will abolish the fine or not. It leaves room for corruption," declared Tabaku.

She proposed that arrears for energy and water for some vulnerable groups, such as pensioners, families with economic assistance, or disabled people, should be part of the amnesty. Deputy Braçe explained that the draft law was not made for political purposes.