The Albanian Prime Minister Mr. Edi Rama, assembled today in the “House of Business”, the representatives of the association of the manufacturing industry for the foreign market, to discuss the demands for:

• further transformation of the sector, following the example of leading companies in the sector;

• the supporting measures we will undertake to overcome development challenges;

• the necessity of understanding by all actors of the sector the fact that the time of free labor as a competitive advantage has ended for some time now and this fact is only faced with investments in technology and innovation, and therefore with proper salaries.

Mr. Elidon AVRAMI, DBS Group General Manager, was present at this meeting as a representative of the company. It was discussed regarding the developments of the DBS company, investments in technology, innovation and new capacities, employment and the focus of the company in continuously improving working standards.

At the end of the meeting, it was agreed on a series of interventions that will precisely stimulate transformation and investments in technology and innovation, rapidly supporting the need for liquidity, the need for easy credit, as well as for qualified human resources:

• Quick refund of VAT through a dedicated channel for companies in this industry providing a facilitating mechanism (overdraft) for the quick availability of liquidity, according to contracts with customers that companies need to put into production;
• A sovereign guarantee for investment in technology and innovation;
• A financing scheme for the establishment of a professional academy for manufacturing and related training in the company

The government will increase its commitment to further support this sector to close its own production cycles, as well as to become more productive and competitive by strengthening the “Made in Albania” brand.