Economic developments in Albania and North Macedonia

In Albania, SIGAL suggests that investing savings in private pension funds may be a more efficient alternative to real estate investment. For an individual with 7.5 million lek, purchasing an apartment for rental income would require significant bank loans and entails responsibilities such as maintenance, finding tenants, and managing repairs. In contrast, SIGAL notes that a private pension fund with an estimated 4.5% return could generate approximately 28,000 to 30,000 lek per month without the management burdens of property.

In North Macedonia, grape growers in the Negotino region are facing a crisis as crops rot in the fields due to low demand and pricing issues. Venko Filipçe, leader of the LSDM, met with farmers in Tremnik to discuss how Vranec black grapes are not being purchased, while white grapes are being bought at only 14 denar per kilogram. Filipçe criticized the current VMRO-DPMNE government for a lack of intervention and stated that the LSDM intends to propose concrete parliamentary measures to support farmers based on the severity of the situation on the ground.