Albanian businesses, new financing scheme from the EIB - Rama: We have no plan B except the EU. We aim to receive knowledge and investments from you
Albanian small and medium-sized businesses will have access to a new financing line with concessional terms, thanks to the agreement signed between the European Investment Bank and Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania. Prime Minister Edi Rama considered this cooperation a strategic support for the development of the Albanian economy and the strengthening of the small and medium-sized enterprise sector.
"Small and medium-sized enterprises are our most important partners in creating jobs, supporting families and of course creating space for young people to grow up and giving the country so many good things. It is not just the value of money. In this case, we will spend a much greater value of money on this program, but it is the knowledge, it is the opportunity to learn from the way they will move in this direction and to do the most, to benefit from the experience they have created over so many years in supporting member states to transform themselves and to support SMEs throughout the European Union. Dear Nadia, before we came here, you asked me why we continue to insist, to wait impatiently to become part of the European Union, why the situation is not very inspiring today. I have a very simple answer: because there is no alternative to freedom, individual liberty and the rule of law, which means equality before the law. Albania has never had a plan B. Albania has never looked in another direction because we know from our history, we have learned the hard way that any possible plan B or C is a plan without individual freedom and without equality before the law."
The President of the European Investment Bank, Nadia Calvino, stated that the institution she leads has invested over 1 billion euros in Albania, in sectors such as transport, energy, water supply and digital technology.
“We have investments of more than 1 billion euros in Albania now, with a very strong impact in areas that are close to the lives of citizens: transport, energy, water, the development of digital technologies, which you also mentioned a moment ago. We are currently supporting the modernization of Albanian roads, the railway network, as well as the water supply system in Tirana, urban infrastructure in Northern Albania to improve living conditions, regional connectivity and tourism. And in 2026 we aim to increase our financing in this country by 60%, as I said a moment ago. This shows the unwavering determination and commitment of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to increase investments to support Albania's path towards the European Union. Over the last ten years, more than 20,000 small and medium-sized enterprises have benefited from our financing provided in partnership with commercial banks.”
The Minister of Economy and Innovation, Delina Ibrahimaj, announced that new financing of 20 million euros will be provided to Albanian businesses on favorable terms, while part of the investment will be returned through the "cashback" mechanism.
“This agreement signed today for Albania is 20 million euros of new financing that will be made available to Albanian businesses on favorable financing terms. This financing will support investments in the green and digital transition, in industrial automation, artificial intelligence, cloud software and systems, smart logistics, renewable energy, energy efficiency and projects related to climate sustainability. A particularly important element that should be shared is the cashback mechanism. Through this European regression, 10% of investments made by businesses in innovation, digitalization and the green transition will be returned after successful implementation. This mechanism that will be signed today reduces investment costs for businesses and creates stronger incentives for companies to modernize and invest in technology.”
According to data from the European Investment Bank, over the last decade, over 20,000 small and medium-sized enterprises have benefited from financing in partnership with commercial banks.
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