Bitiki: The government has no liquidity, but there is no room to raise the deficit either

The budget deficit has already exceeded the level planned for the whole of 2026, so a new rebalance of the state treasury is necessary, warns SDSM presidency member and former deputy prime minister Fatmir Bitiki, as 360 Stepeni reports.

According to Bitiki, bearing in mind the importance this issue has for international creditors, there is no room to raise the deficit — a position the opposition presents as aligned with the expectations of the international financial institutions, as 360 Stepeni reports.

Meanwhile, delays in VAT refunds are seriously endangering the liquidity of private companies. In the construction sector, around 70 per cent of payments are made through compensations, according to Libertas — a practice that shows the pressure on the circulation of money in the economy.

Bitiki also adds that the government is stating there will be no early elections precisely in order to secure more favourable conditions, namely cheaper borrowing, on the financial markets, according to 360 Stepeni.

His statements come as the opposition’s reaction to the government’s announcement today that it is preparing a new budget rebalance, with around 130 million euros less in revenue — a development reported earlier separately. These are opposition positions and should be read as such, not as established facts.