Prime Minister Edi Rama stated on Thursday that with Euro 1 billion in exports, agriculture is also placed at the same level of sustainable achievements of Albania as a new member, small in size, but without a doubt dignified in terms of overall performance in the European Union.

In his speech at the roundtable discussion organized by the Bank of Albania on financing in agriculture, where through a banking instrument with a financing line of Euro 250 million, investments in greenhouses, agro-processing, fishing, aquaculture, agro-tourism, technological innovation in the service of rural development will be supported, Rama said that "when we had the first meeting, I am sincerely grateful to all representatives of the banking sector here, because I learned a lot about the reasons for the great reluctance to finance agriculture, but on the other hand I saw a willingness to help us reach a common denominator and to share the burden of normal risk."

“But, we have to be very open and I believe we have to agree that 2.1% of the total volume of loans for this sector is very little,” said Rama.

“We have a product, combined between the new line of financing of the C-bank and the support that the government will provide, effectively achieving that through the sovereign guarantee to cover 70% of the loan principal,” said Rama.

Rama said that the Mountain Package, approved by the government on January 9, will enable all those who want to invest in rural Albania, on land that does not have a final title of ownership, to have a full guarantee for their investment.

“I am very confident that the Mountain Package will bring increased demand for agro-tourism because we increasingly see that there is interest from Albanians who are abroad to invest in their areas of origin. The package is attractive from a fiscal point of view, as it gives a full guarantee for 100% relief from the fiscal burden for 10 years,” said Rama.