The Council of Ministers approved on Wednesday some decisions on the increase of salaries in the public sector starting from July 1.

After the government meeting, the Minister of Finance, Ervin Mete, informed that with the approval of this decision, the second phase of the salary increase policy, which started in 2023, is advancing, a phase from which about 135 thousand employees of the state administration will benefit.

The minister emphasized that with the implementation of the salary reform, the average salary in the public sector is intended to reach Lek 105 thousand.

"The increased salaries begin to be applied in the second six months of the year, i.e. starting from July 1, with an estimated cost of nearly Lek 11 billion for this second six months of the year and with a total budget cost of nearly Lek 40 billion," said Mete.

The salary increase policy will benefit: employees of the pre-university education system; employees of the health system; employees of the country's security system (State Police, Prison Police, Guard of the Republic, Armed Forces, Fire Protection and Rescue); as well as employees of the implementation and support level of the state administration.

Minister Mete informed that, with the approved legal changes, it is foreseen to realize the indexation of all salaries in the public administration with the inflation rate in force, an indexation that will be realized continuously every two years, starting from 2026.

Also the Armed Forces, regardless of rank, will have higher salaries from July 1, declared the Minister of Defense, Niko Peleshi.

"Regarding the salaries for the Armed Forces, but also for the Civilian personnel. I want to give the good news to all ranks, from the soldiers to the generals. They will have salary increases. The salaries of the Armed Forces will increase every year. We are very close, passing the countries of the region, going towards dignified countries,” said Peleshi.

Peleshi announced that the Council of Ministers approved the salary increase also for firefighters.

In a communication with the media after the meeting of the Government, Peleshi said, "Today there is an increase in salaries for this sector that goes up to 30% depending on the rank".

According to him, the fired assistant, which is the lowest rank of the firefighter, with a current salary of Lek 46,000, increases by 30.42% and is worth Lek 14,000, and today's salary for this category is Lek 60,000. "So anyone who joins the fire service starts with a starting salary of Lek 60,000 from today," said the minister.

Peleshi informed that the firefighter, a rank higher, had a salary of Lek 52,500, today it is Lek 65,000.

Also, the Minister of Education, Ogerta Manastirliu, announced that the salary increase for teachers has been approved. "From July salary increase for 30 thousand employees, the biggest increase in decades. The average salary increases by 3 salaries per year, bringing the average salary of teachers to Euro 950," said the minister.