‘Not a formal process’ – Tabaku: Freelance professionals must be part of lawmaking and EU negotiations

Democratic Party MP and chair of the Committee on European Affairs, Jorida Tabaku, took part today in the roundtable “Freelance professionals as active actors in society and policymaking”, organised by the Alliance of Freelance Professionals, with the support of the Center for International Private Enterprise.

In her speech, Tabaku asked that freelance professionals not be treated simply as implementers of laws, but be included directly in drafting them, in public consultations and in the European integration process.

She cited as examples the cooperation on the freelance professionals’ case at the Constitutional Court and the interventions in the audit law, stressing that uniting around a public interest brings concrete results.

“When the parties come together and have a common public interest, of course things move forward”, Tabaku said.

The Democratic MP criticised the way public consultation is conducted today, describing it, in many cases, as a formal process.

“Professionals’ opinions must really be taken, because they are the ones who bear the implementation of laws on their backs most of the time. Consultation must happen before draft laws come to Parliament”, she said.

According to Tabaku, freelance professionals represent one of the main pillars of the middle class and are among the groups that feel most strongly the weight of the current fiscal and regulatory system.

“If there is a class that best represents Albania’s challenges, it is precisely you, the freelance professionals”, Tabaku said.

Turning to European integration, the chair of the Committee on European Affairs raised the concern that Albania still lacks a full analysis of businesses’ readiness to face the costs and obligations of European Union legislation.

“Is Albanian business ready to face all the challenges of European legislation? What must business do, what costs will it have and what laws need to be adopted? Integration cannot be done only on paper and only with the government, without including those who will implement the laws”, Tabaku stressed, asking that representatives of professionals and business be part of the negotiating groups.

Tabaku also spoke about the business climate and the concentration of wealth and economic privileges in a small number of companies. She said this situation is damaging competition and leaving small business, medium business and freelance professionals forgotten.

“You do not compete with the wealth of monopolies, nor with the money of corruption. You compete only with your work”, the DP MP said.

According to her, there cannot be a fair economy when a small group benefits from favours and fiscal exemptions, while freelance professionals face taxes, abusive laws, inspections and administrative pressure.

“The integration process must serve us to improve the country, not to turn it into a formal process from which no one benefits”, Tabaku stressed.

In conclusion, she expressed readiness to continue cooperation with the Alliance of Freelance Professionals and business organisations in three main directions: improving the business climate, increasing the role of professionals in the lawmaking process and including them in the European integration process.