FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti 
Attacks on SMEs: How the pillars of the economy are being hit and why this is a risk for everyone
In Albania, citizens often witness a series of aggressive actions taken by state institutions against small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). The latest campaign, which includes small business territories and products, raises an important question: Is this a tactic to target the most vital segment of the national economy?
SME – The Backbone of the Economy
In the European Union, SMEs account for 99.8% of the number of businesses and contribute over 65% to private sector employment, as well as around 56% of gross domestic product (EU Commission, 2023). They are the main engines of employment, innovation and wealth distribution. In Albania, the role of SMEs is equally vital: 98.1% of businesses are SMEs (micro, small and medium-sized). SMEs contribute to around 72% of employment and 60% of the value of gross domestic product (INSTAT).
The attack on SMEs is more than an economic problem – it is an attack on the middle class of society, on people who have built something of their own with effort and dedication, often without institutional support.
Why does the State hit SMEs?
There are several possible reasons:
* Because it's easier. A small business doesn't have expensive lawyers or political connections to block tax cuts, new laws, and other threats. So it's easier to tear down a family-owned store than a complex built by an oligarch.
* To reduce the number of SMEs and favor the big ones. This is a familiar tactic: small competitors are targeted to make way for large groups with government-linked interests.
* To divert attention. When unemployment is rising and young people are leaving the country every day, noisy media operations against small businesses distract public attention from the real problems.
Where Should the State Focus?
As the state deals with the damage to SMEs, it should focus on several key areas:
* Formalization through incentives, not penalties. Fiscal education and technical support are more efficient than controls and fines.
* Ease the fiscal burden. High taxes and bureaucracy are the main reasons for informalization and business closure.
* Develop infrastructure and access to financing. SMEs need conditions that help them grow, not barriers that push them to bankruptcy.
* Involvement in policymaking. Market policies cannot be designed solely on the demands of oligarchs. * The voice of small business must also be heard.
When an SME collapses, not just an object collapses: a dream, a source of livelihood, an honest contributor to the economy is destroyed. Urban development must be inclusive and in the service of all citizens – not an instrument to destroy what little dignity remains in Albanian small business.
A state that hits SMEs instead of supporting them is a state that has lost its way./ Pamphlet
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