Is the anti-informality campaign aimed at correcting failed policies or at the 2025 elections?

The intensified campaign by the Albanian government against tax evasion in tourism, with a particular focus on wage evasion, appears as a maneuver synchronized with the electoral dynamics of 2025. This move, which ostensibly aims to strengthen fiscal discipline and reduce informality, can be interpreted as an attempt to correct past policy failures and to improve public perception of the current governance. However, the key question remains whether this is a genuine reform strategy or a tool to maximize political support ahead of the elections.

A strategy to correct past policies
Albania has faced significant challenges in combating informality, despite efforts to modernize the tax administration and digitize fiscal processes. The fact that the government is now addressing this issue shows an attempt to reflect on past failures and to demonstrate a delayed but necessary commitment. While wage evasion is a real problem, this sector represents only a part of the overall informality, raising the question of whether the campaign has sufficient scope to sustainably impact the economy.

The tax campaign as an electoral tool
Given that the 2025 parliamentary elections are approaching, there is a tendency to see this campaign as a politically motivated action. A government that presents itself as determined to fight informality and improve fiscal discipline may gain favor in the eyes of the electorate, especially in a context where corruption and economic inequality are major public concerns. In this light, the fight against evasion could be part of a narrative aiming to position the government as a transformative force, even if policy implementation remains partial and selective.

Public perception and reaction
In Albania, trust in public institutions and the tax administration has traditionally been low. Many citizens and businesses see informality as a way to survive in the face of a high fiscal burden and a system that is often arbitrary. If the government fails to ensure that the campaign against evasion is fair and equal for everyone, there is a risk that such measures will be interpreted as selective, targeting only smaller businesses, while larger actors with political connections remain untouched.

Digitization as a tool, but not a solution
The government has promoted digitization as a mechanism to reduce evasion, but in reality, technology alone is not enough to ensure tax compliance. Experts emphasize that strict enforcement, continuous auditing, and punishment of corruption within the tax administration are the decisive elements that can make a difference. If these components are lacking, digitization may remain merely a façade with no real impact on formalizing the economy.

Criticism of selectivity and lack of transparency
One of the biggest concerns raised by experts and oversight organizations is the risk that this campaign will be implemented selectively, hitting the most vulnerable segments of the economy, while large companies and politically connected actors may remain outside this process. Transparency International and other institutions have noted that in Albania, fiscal reforms are often influenced by political patronage networks, resulting in unequal application of the law. If this happens with this campaign as well, then its real impact in the fight against evasion will be limited.

External pressure and EU integration
Another factor that may have prompted the government to undertake this campaign is international pressure, particularly from the European Union, which has called for increased fiscal transparency as part of the accession process. However, critics emphasize that if reforms are pushed only by external factors and not by an internal political will for change, they may not bring sustainable transformations to the economy.

Is the current campaign a sufficient step?
In the final analysis, interventions against tax evasion must be broad and inclusive, addressing not only wage evasion but also other sectors of informality. If the government focuses only on one aspect and does not address the structural problems of the economy – including the high tax burden, corruption, and the uncertain business climate – then the campaign risks remaining a temporary move, without deep and long-term impact. While the campaign against tax evasion in Albania may be seen as a positive step towards formalizing the economy and improving fiscal discipline, its timing places it at the center of criticism for its potential electoral motivation. To be successful, this initiative must meet several key conditions: it must be implemented fairly, have transparency in procedures, be accompanied by sustainable anti-corruption measures, and offer a broader approach to the problem of informality. Otherwise, it may remain a politically motivated move that fails to bring real changes to the Albanian economy.