Prishtina, 31 October 2025
Honourable Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Distinguished staff of the Prime Minister’s Office and members of the media,
Dear citizens,
As foreseen by the Law on Public Finances, within the legal deadline, today we are adopting the Draft Law on Budget Allocations for the fiscal year 2026.
Like every year, this budget also brings many novelties.
First of all, I am pleased to inform you that the total value of the budget amounts to 4 billion euros, of which one quarter—around 1 billion euros—is allocated for capital investments.
A new feature of this budget is the introduction of the 13th salary for all employees in the public sector. Thus, anyone who has worked for at least 12 months in the public sector under our government will be eligible to receive a 13th salary at the end of the year. Furthermore, the budget includes the implementation of a 0.5% increase in the base salary for each year of work experience, unlike the previous system, where the increase was only 0.25% per year for the first 15 years of service. This means an additional pay rise for every public sector employee, depending on their years of work experience.
The 2026 budget also includes increases in pensions, child benefits, maternity allowances, and payments for young people and women employed through the Superpuna program, as well as the completion of social assistance reform and many other measures supporting families.
With this budget, we are also increasing support for essential medicines, boosting funding for culture and sports, and enhancing support for entrepreneurs, the private sector, and farmers, while also raising the budget for investments in public infrastructure.
Above all, this budget ensures the sustainability and continuity of our state and its development.
Although we are a caretaker government, the Law on the Government allows that, in situations where the formation of institutions takes longer than expected, the state continues to function. Specifically, paragraph 5 of Article 31 of the Law provides that even a government that has completed its full mandate, as is the case with ours, may propose the annual budget to the Assembly, as defined in paragraph 2 of the same article.
Therefore, today, as a government, we are not only fulfilling a legal obligation regarding the timely adoption of the budget law, but we are also ensuring that the state is not left without a budget. It is now up to the Assembly and all Members of Parliament, from all political parties, to adopt this budget before new elections are held, so that the state’s continuity is guaranteed and we do not face a situation where the state operates without an approved budget.
As for other items on today’s agenda—besides the salary increase in the public sector—there is good news for the private sector as well. The Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers has proposed an increase in the minimum wage, which will positively affect around 150,000 employees.
As I promised, there is good news for pensioners too. Starting from November, the minimum pension will increase from 120 euros to 150 euros. This increase affects around 200,000 pensioners in the categories of basic pensions, pensions for persons with disabilities, pensions for adults and children, family pensions, as well as occupational disability pensions.
And as you know, I also promised good news for mothers receiving child allowances. Beginning in November, the allowances for all children aged 0–16 years—around 400,000 children—will increase by 50%. Thus, a mother with two children who received 40 euros this month will receive 60 euros next month, and a mother with four children who received 120 euros this month will receive 180 euros per month starting in November, and so on.
So, as always, there is a lot of good news for everyone.
And now that we have a constituted Assembly, today’s meeting will also approve the submission to the Assembly of the 2025 budgets for the municipalities of Prishtina, Gjilan, and Zubin Potok, so that the Assembly can incorporate them into the Law on Budget Allocations for 2025. This will enable these municipalities to use their current-year budgets, as they are still operating under the 2024 budget, which has caused numerous difficulties.
On today’s agenda, we also have a very important decision for art and culture, particularly for the independent scene: the approval of the Regulation on Criteria, Standards and Procedures for Public Financial Support for the Independent Cultural Scene. Developed in close cooperation with the artistic and cultural community, this regulation lays the foundation for our cultural reform in support of the independent scene. The regulation—long awaited by artists—significantly reduces bureaucracy and simplifies applications for open calls by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, while also paving the way for the digitalization of the entire application process; because the only thing worth waiting for, for artists, is inspiration.
Thank you all, and now we shall proceed with the agenda for today’s meeting!
