Albania publishes draft budget for 2023, will be 5.3 billion euros

Returning sports betting on January 1st and special energy taxes. This is what the government predicts in next year's draft budget. Budget spending will reach, next year, a record 5.3 billion euros, up from 4.9 billion euros this year, with the latest revision.

Strong income growth will be generated in part by new fiscal measures, where additional 38m euros will come from increased prices of an additional 48m euros -- from growth of the 140m euros economy and other 70m euros.

The government already plans to restore sports bets on January 1st, 2023, which is expected to bring on taxes worth $2 billion. As a special taxation is presented for electricity producers who have exported it abroad. The additional profits of these companies, which have come exclusively from the stock market price increase, will be taxed by 33%. This particular tax is expected to bring a total of 71m euros to the budget.

On the expense side, the government will use only 225m euros more, while the rest of the revenues will be used to reduce the budget deficit. According to the finance ministry signs, the deficit will drop to 472m euros, or 2.6% of GDP, thus implementing the International Monetary Fund's recommendation.

Meanwhile, in an election year public investments, without including the reconstruction programme, will increase by 200m euros. The government calls for the energy crisis, even an additional grant to the 102m-euro sector.